:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2202932276-74796c9fd3824b97be23155749b7e9ca.jpg "What ‘Agentic Commerce’ Means—And How a Walmart Exec Thinks AI Could Help You Shop")
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Key Takeaways
- Retailers are sorting through a sea of AI tools and possible uses for technology that consumers will want to use, said Daniel Danker, executive vice president of AI acceleration, project and design at Walmart.
- He said a few uses seem particularly promising, such as having apparel displayed on images of the shopper, rather than models.
Some AI tools beg the question: who asked for this?
In the rush to capitalize on artificial intelligence, companies have released a myriad of “agentic commerce” tools that aim to revolutionize shopping. (Agentic commerce refers to AI agents performing tasks, such as comparing prices or making purchases, on behalf of consumers.) More than a few lack consumer appeal, according to Daniel Danker, Walmart’s (WMT) executive vice president of AI acceleration, project and design.
“We’ve all been playing with the technology to understand it better,” Danker said at a conference earlier this week, according to a transcript made available by AlphaSense. “A lot of things have been built that won’t necessarily work. A lot of things have been built that don’t necessarily reflect exactly what the customer wants.”
Why This News Matters
Tech companies want to find ways to capitalize on the billions they’ve invested in AI. Some consumers are willing to pay for chatbots, but tech companies may have better luck licensing their technology to other businesses.
Still, AI is playing a growing role in e-commerce, which according to the U.S. government accounted for about 16% of total retail spending last quarter. Roughly one-third of shoppers said they used AI assistants, according to surveys Adobe conducted in November. Shoppers who access merchants’ websites using AI are more likely to buy and tend to spend more, Adobe says.
Retailers don’t want to miss out on big spenders—or be left behind if, as some experts expect, AI use explodes. Merchants are working to understand how AI can enhance the typical shopping experience, Danker said.
Here’s how he thinks the technology may catch on:
Apparel displays may get personal, giving shoppers a better idea of how a color or cut would look on them. Rather than seeing clothing on professional models, items may be displayed on an image of the person browsing, Danker said.
Shoppers may do less scrolling. AI may remember consumers’ typical orders and anticipate the items they’re looking for, Danker said.
He used grocery shopping as an example: “By the time you’ve added the tomato paste and the ground beef and the mozzarella, we’re pretty sure you’re making lasagna,” he said. “We don’t need you to search eight times and scroll through many, many pages just to add the basil and the tomato sauce and the ricotta.”
Finding the right fit may get easier. People may ask the technology what type of electronics are compatible with the devices they already own, Danker said. (The technology may also be used to find furniture that fits with the layout and aesthetic of customers’ homes, experts have suggested.)
Consumers may get help with their to-do lists. Walmart’s AI agent, Sparky, may remind customers of everything they need to do at Walmart, so they can avoid making separate trips to pick up groceries, prescriptions and get their car serviced, Danker said.
