Dive Brief:
- Walmart has partnered with OpenAI to develop a customized AI certification program for U.S. frontline and office-based employees, according to a note from Walmart's Chief People Officer Donna Morris on Thursday.
- The executive said the certification course will be available in 2026, though employees currently have access to some AI-related training through the retailer’s Live Better U education benefit.
- Walmart says this is part of its effort to commit nearly $1 billion to skills training through 2026.
Dive Insight:
The pairing of one of the world’s largest retailers and a leading AI technology company marks a major moment for the retail industry.
“The future of retail won’t be defined by technology alone — it will be defined by people who know how to use it,” Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner said in a LinkedIn post Thursday. “By bringing AI training directly to our associates, we’ll enable our people to maximize the benefit of AI-powered technology — giving them the skills they need to rewrite the playbook and shape the future of retail.”
The news builds on a slew of recent AI-related updates from Walmart.
The mass retailer in July debuted a unified and company-wide AI framework centered around four “super agents.” Those agents (intended to support various business touchpoints and minimize user confusion) include: the customer-facing Sparky agent that launched in June; the partner agent Marty for suppliers, advertisers and sellers; a store-centric associate agent; and an agent for company tech developers.
The updated framework coincided with the announcement that Walmart named former Instacart executive Daniel Danker to be executive vice president of AI acceleration, product and design.
For now, positive financial impacts from AI adoption have yet to yield results at Walmart.
“As it relates to AI, I don't think it's lifting our top-line sales yet,” Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon told analysts on an earnings call in August. “I think this is very early days. But I am excited about the road map, as I mentioned. I think what lies ahead is really exciting for us, given how our assortment has grown and our capabilities today as it relates to tech and Daniel is going to do a great job.”
The company’s second quarter results last month showed revenue increased 4.8% year over year to $177.4 billion. Walmart's consolidated net income jumped 51.8% to about $7.2 billion and the retailer raised its full-year guidance. However, new global trade policies in the U.S. are beginning to show some impact, with McMillon telling analysts the company has seen costs increase each week as Walmart replenishes inventory at new tariff rates.
