Walmart is rolling out new tools that let AI agents shop on customers’ behalf. The features are designed to allow multi-step actions such as finding products, comparing prices, and completing purchases, while giving users controls over approvals and spending limits.
Walmart is positioning the rollout as different from Amazon’s approach, which limits or blocks outside AI shopping agents on its platform. Outlets consistently describe Walmart’s upcoming “Agent Profiles,” which customers can register within their Walmart accounts so purchases made by an agent are separated from the user’s own activity.
Across coverage, most emphasis falls on the contrast between the two retailers and on customer control mechanisms: approvals for each purchase or automatic purchasing up to preset caps, plus the ability to remove an agent profile. Some stories also cite the broader industry context—major AI firms investing in agents—and mention specific examples of agents referenced in the reporting, such as Meta’s Muse and other agent products.
