Interest in generative AI technology seemed to be everywhere in 2023, but as some industry analysts have pointed, large enterprises are still working through some of the thorny problems of working with and managing the technology, thus limiting a lot of the activity to pilot projects and partnerships designed to help enterprise explore the potential of generative AI.
But retail giant Walmart just gave the budding generative AI market something with real-world implications to consider. The company at CES 2024 this week unveiled a new search capability already available for iOS device users that is powered by generative Ai technology. The new search experience allows customers to search for store items by specifying use cases. For example, a customer could specify search terms as “a football watch party” and generate relevant, cross-category results such as chips, wings, and a big-screen TV, rather than trying to search each of these product categories separately.
The new capability will become available to more online and mobile customers later this year, and it is just one of the AI-powered tools Walmart is creating. The company also is working on InHome Replenishment, a feature that combines AI and Walmart’s expertise in replenishment of repeat purchases and frequently bought items. Another is Shop with Friends, a social commerce platform now in beta that uses augmented reality AR shopping to allow customers to share the virtual outfits they create with friends and get feedback on their fashion finds. Walmart also said it is expanding the use of an in-house My Assistant tool, which also leverages generative AI technology, to more of its own employees throughout several countries.
These announcements were made during a CES 2024 keynote by Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon, who said Walmart’s strategic imperative is not just to adopt cutting-edge technology for its own sake. “The underlying principle is that we should use technology to serve people and not the other way around,” he said during his keynote presentation. “This path enables people to do things in more efficient and enjoyable ways.”