Walmart embraces AI agents as Amazon restricts them
What's the story
Walmart has announced the launch of its own Agent Gateway, a platform designed to facilitate transactions and other features for customers using artificial intelligence (AI) agents. The move comes just after Amazon, Walmart's biggest competitor, started blocking AI agents from making purchases on behalf of online shoppers. The new technology will support agentic shopping at both Walmart and its discount warehouse Sam's Club.
Tech details
Agent Gateway is a new MCP server
Walmart's Agent Gateway is a new MCP server designed to help approved agents connect with Walmart over the model context protocol (MCP).
This protocol, originally developed by Anthropic, allows AI agents to connect with external data sources, tools, and workflows.
It enables an AI agent to search through Walmart's online inventory and make purchases on behalf of the user.
User protection
Shoppers can now keep their purchase history private
Walmart's Agent Gateway also promises to help customers shop for their favorite brands or products without sharing personal information or purchase history with the agent.
The company has developed technology to differentiate between purchases made by an agent and those made directly by a customer.
It also gives shoppers more control over what their agents can do on their behalf.
User empowerment
New features coming next month
Next month, Walmart will roll out Agent Profiles, a feature that lets customers authorize each AI agent they use with a dedicated profile in their account.
This way, they can see the agent's purchases separately from their own.
Customers will also have the option to approve transactions individually or set spending limits for each agent they use on the platform.
Compliance measures
Walmart introduces specific 'terms' for AI agents
Along with these features, Walmart is also introducing specific "terms" for AI agents.
These terms dictate how they should behave and what rights they have to transact on its site.
Notably, the retailer says its returns policy applies even when an agent doesn't perform as expected.
This customer-friendly condition could entice users wary of being early adopters of agentic commerce, as it removes the risk of ending up with unwanted products due to an errant agent.