In a significant move to transform online shopping, Walmart has announced a collaboration with OpenAI, enabling customers to make purchases through ChatGPT. This partnership, revealed on Tuesday, marks a shift in the way consumers will interact with eCommerce platforms.

Walmart’s CEO, Doug McMillon, highlighted the evolution of online shopping experiences, noting, “For years, eCommerce has been limited to a search bar and a lengthy list of results. We are poised to revolutionize this.” He emphasized the upcoming changes, stating, “A new AI-driven experience is on the horizon—one that is multi-media, personalized, and contextual. We are eagerly embracing this more enjoyable and convenient future through our AI assistant, Sparky, and our collaborations, including this crucial venture with OpenAI.”

Earlier this year, Walmart introduced Sparky, an artificial intelligence shopping assistant designed to enhance customer interaction. The alliance with OpenAI further leverages the capabilities of the AI firm’s Instant Checkout feature, which facilitates direct purchases within ChatGPT.

Initially, the Instant Checkout option was available for Etsy purchases. However, the service is set to broaden its reach, incorporating Shopify merchants such as Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx, and Vuori, as announced last month. This expansion reflects Walmart’s commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology into retail, aiming to streamline and personalize the shopping experience for consumers.

The feature initially allowed for purchases from Etsy and is set to expand to Shopify merchants, such as Glossier, SKIMS, Spanx and Vuori, according to the announcement late last month. 

“We’re excited to partner with Walmart to make everyday purchases a little simpler. It’s just one way AI will help people every day under our work together,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a statement Tuesday. 

The Walmart partnership underscores a growing focus across the tech and retail industries on agentic AI — technology that can perform multi-step tasks for users.  

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff suggested Tuesday at his company’s annual Dreamforce conference that agentic AI is the “next revolution.” 

“We’ve gone through cloud, we’ve gone through mobile, we’ve gone through social, we’ve gone through predictive AI. And now we’re entering this new agentic AI revolution,” Benioff said.