Walmart is literally putting the power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in corporate employee hands.
The discount giant is including a generative AI-based feature called “My Assistant” in the new Me@Campus “super app” it is providing to tens of thousands of corporate employees. Generative AI is based on machine learning (ML) and can create new content and ideas, including conversations, stories, images, videos, and music.
The Me@Campus app also has features designed to aid employees in managing their careers, and finances, obtaining required learnings, and working on teams. Walmart says it is also working toward using the app for new associate orientation and to help associates better understand and choose their benefits during annual enrollment.
In a LinkedIn post, Donna Morris, executive VP, chief people officer and Cheryl Ainoa, executive VP, new businesses and emerging technologies, Walmart, said MyAssistant will help employees with tasks such as speeding up the drafting process, serving as a creative partner, and summarizing large documents.
Ideally, Walmart hopes this technology will free employees from monotonous, repetitive tasks, allowing them more time and focus for improving the customer experience. In June 2023, the company rolled out the Walmart GenAI Playground, an early-stage internal generative AI tool where employees can explore and learn about the new technology.
“My Assistant has the potential to change how our associates work and solve problems,” Morris and Ainoa said in the LinkedIn post. “The conversation around GenAI continues to grow, sparking interest and curiosity around how it will reshape our work, interactions, and relationships. We believe GenAI will revolutionize the retail industry, make shopping easier and more enjoyable for customers/members, and create better work experiences for associates.”
Walmart leverages AI across the enterprise
While Walmart is still developing its generative AI capabilities, the retailer has been actively integrating AI into its enterprise. At the kickoff of its recent two-day 2023 Investment Community meeting, Walmart unveiled a plan for what the discount titan says is “a new more connected and automated supply chain which will improve the experience for customers and associates and simultaneously increase productivity.” Over half of Walmart’s fulfillment centers could be automated within three years. The retailer expects the outcome to improve in-stock levels, inventory accuracy and flow across all fulfillment channels.
Walmart also utilizes applied AI to identify when an item purchased online can be fulfilled from one of its 4,700 stores instead of fulfillment centers. This step is intended to reduce both the number of miles driven and the number of boxes used for shipping.
To ensure that items can more sustainably travel from stores to customers’ homes, the retailer combines multiple orders on single delivery routes and delivers them using electric vans.
Other examples include the retailer utilizing advanced AI capability and employee expertise to streamline digital product discovery for Spanish-speaking customers.
