Walmart Launches AI Agent Gateway for Automated Shopping
Walmart introduced the Agent Gateway and Agent Profiles to allow AI assistants to search for products and complete transactions for customers.
Walmart launched the Agent Gateway and Agent Profiles on Wednesday, introducing tools that enable AI agents to search for products and execute transactions on behalf of customers. Announced by CEO John Furner at the Masters of Scale Summit, the Agent Gateway utilizes the model context protocol to link AI assistants—including Google's Gemini, Meta's Muse, and OpenAI's ChatGPT—directly to the systems of Walmart and Sam's Club.
To ensure consumer oversight, the company will roll out Agent Profiles next month. These profiles allow shoppers to establish spending limits, require approval for individual transactions, and track agent-led purchases separately from their own. Walmart specified that AI agents are prohibited from accessing payment card data and must follow strict operating terms or risk being blocked from the platform.
This move distinguishes Walmart from competitors like Amazon and various travel platforms, which have historically limited or blocked third-party AI shopping agents. The company confirmed that these new tools are available to all account holders, regardless of whether they have a Walmart+ membership.
