NEW YORK — Retailers at The National Retail Federation’s 2026 Big Show in New York City this week made sure to balance endless conversations about AI with an emphasis on human intelligence.
“Right now, we're looking at AI really as a productivity tool more than a replacement of personnel,” Dick’s Sporting Goods’ Executive Chairman Ed Stack told an audience at the conference on Sunday.
It’s going to change the world, Stack added, though he doesn’t “think anybody should be afraid of AI.”
In a separate session on Monday, OpenAI’s Vice President of Enterprise, Ashley Kramer, sat alongside Target’s Chief Information and Product Officer Prat Vemana to outline how both companies have partnered together in recent months.
Target in November debuted its own app within ChatGPT that allows users to checkout multi-basket carts without leaving the AI platform. Vemana noted that the concept went from idea to launch within a matter of weeks.
“AI is here to amplify human intelligence,” Kramer said. “I truly believe that.”
Undoubtedly, however, AI is changing the work needed from the human employees who keep retailers operational.
At REI, employees are still a core focus despite AI’s rapid adoption.
The outdoor retailer’s CEO Mary Beth Laughton at the NRF conference on Sunday emphasized its “green vest” associates are a vital differentiator both in stores and online, especially given that AI doesn’t have the real-world ability to test outdoor gear like employees can.
“We are thinking a lot about ‘How can we leverage our green vests in this AI world?’” Laughton said. “AI can be really fast. It can be really effective. It’s super smart. But the thing it can’t do is, really, that lived experience in the outdoors.”
At Walmart, AI is already changing some of the work done by humans.
Incoming CEO John Furner told an audience Sunday that the technology is helping to alleviate the manual labor needed within its supply chain through automation.
“They were doing really physical jobs, and now they're bot techs,” Furner said. “So it's really helping people work with their head more than their back.”
