The future of retail is evolving rapidly. Customer expectations are changing, and nearly every company is investing in ensuring they have a seamless digital presence. It seems far fewer companies are focused on how they bring that same experience to their employees. At Walmart, we’re excited to lead in this space as we expand our GenAI-powered associate tool to teams around the world.
“Walmart is people-led and tech-powered, and we know that the best way to help our people reach their full potential is to provide the same intuitive, consumer grade experience we’ve built for our customers and members,” said Donna Morris, Walmart’s chief people officer. “We were early believers in the power of generative AI (GenAI) as a tool for our associates. In fact, we took our first GenAI-powered associate tool from vision to viable in about 60 days, thanks to the strong technology foundation we have put in place.”
We built My Assistant to help Walmart associates spend more time on the things that matter. Our U.S. associates are already using the tool to get to first drafts faster, summarize large documents in seconds and spark creativity with thought starters on a variety of topics.
Most importantly, it frees up time so they can focus on the tasks that are distinctly human, like generating new ideas, crafting strategy and building relationships.
We believe GenAI can power productivity and elevate the daily experience for our associates across our global business. We first introduced this tool, known as My Assistant, to 50,000 campus associates in the U.S. last year.
We’re pleased to share associates in the following countries now have access to My Assistant:
- Canada
- Mexico
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Honduras
- Guatemala
- Nicaragua
In the year ahead, we plan to add India and South Africa.
Associates in these countries will be able to interact with the tool in their native language, and the tool will still be loaded with the Walmart-specific knowledge that drives an intuitive, efficient experience. We expect 25,000 associates in our international markets to have access to the tool this year – a 50% increase in the user base.
Listening to associates is core to Walmart’s culture, and our approach to digital tools is no different. As we’ve rolled out My Assistant in the U.S., we’ve incorporated feedback from associates to make the tool more effective. We’ll continue to add features and improve the experience as more associates tap into the power of generative AI.
“Our view is still that it will take both people and technology to power the future of retail, and at Walmart, we know it will always be our associates who set Walmart apart,” Morris said. “They bring our purpose to life - helping people save money and live better - and with the power of technology behind them, the potential of our associates is limitless.”
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 240 million customers and members visit approximately 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2023 revenue of $611 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on X (formerly known as Twitter) at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart.
