From TechCrunch · Sarah Perez · · 1m 50s
Walmart welcomes AI agents while Amazon shuts them out
Walmart launches Agent Gateway to let AI assistants shop on behalf of customers, taking the opposite approach from Amazon and other retailers blocking automated purchases.
In brief
Walmart launches Agent Gateway to let AI assistants shop on behalf of customers, taking the opposite approach from Amazon and other retailers blocking automated purchases. Walmart is embracing AI agents with new tools to manage automated shopping, while Amazon and other retailers are blocking them from their sites…
Walmart opens doors to AI shoppers
Walmart announced on Wednesday it is launching Agent Gateway to let AI agents make purchases on behalf of customers, embracing agentic commerce technology.
Amazon takes the opposite path
Amazon has begun blocking AI agents from making purchases, while travel and booking sites have also locked them out completely. Walmart is taking a different approach.
Walmart already partnered with Meta's Muse
Walmart had already announced a partnership with Meta's Muse and offers integrations with popular AI apps like ChatGPT and Gemini before launching Agent Gateway.
How Agent Gateway works
Agent Gateway is an MCP server using the model context protocol, originally created by Anthropic, allowing AI agents to search Walmart's inventory and make purchases without sharing customer personal information.
Agent Profiles give customers control
Rolling out next month, Agent Profiles let customers authorize each AI agent with a dedicated account profile, see purchases separately, and set spending limits or require approval for each transaction.
Returns policy protects early adopters
Walmart's returns process applies to agent purchases, including when an agent does not act as intended, protecting customers worried about unwanted products from misbehaving agents.
Strict rules for agent behavior
Walmart's terms require agents cannot access payment information, can only access information needed for tasks, and cannot take actions beyond shopper intent. Non-compliant agents will be blocked.
Sam's Club gets agent support too
The technology will support agentic shopping from both Walmart and the company's discount warehouse, Sam's Club, expanding the reach of automated purchasing across Walmart's retail operations.
The one thing
Walmart is embracing AI agents with new tools to manage automated shopping, while Amazon and other retailers are blocking them from their sites.
