From finding the best deals on groceries to planning your next family dinner, Walmart is hoping artificial intelligence can make shopping a little easier.
The retail giant has launched a new AI-powered shopping assistant across Canada. While some Ottawa shoppers are welcoming the technology, others are raising concerns about privacy and how much information they’re sharing.
For Pierre and Lucie LeVasseur, a trip to Walmart is all about stocking up on everyday essentials without breaking the bank.
“When we come to Walmart, it’s mostly groceries, paper towels, Kleenex,” Lucie told CTV News outside the Walmart at Ottawa Train Yards on Friday.
Now, shoppers like the LeVasseurs have a new tool at their fingertips.
Called Sparky, Walmart’s AI -powered assistant is available through the company’s website and mobile app.
Instead of searching for items individually, customers can ask Sparky questions about that they’re looking for. Whether it’s planning a holiday meal on a budget, finding gift ideas, or comparing products, the assistant can recommend items, summarize customer reviews, and help put together shopping lists.
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The tool launched across Canada Thursday and is available in both English and French.
Pierre believes it’s another example of artificial intelligence becoming part of everyday life.
“We don’t have a choice. It’s part of the tool, it’s like having a computer, it’s new and we have to learn it,” he said.
But not everyone is ready to embrace it without hesitation.
Lucie says she’s concerned about how much personal information could be collected as more people turn to technology for everyday tasks.
“It depends on what they capture because it’s scary if they start capturing financial information or personal information,” she said.
The couple says they’ve previously experienced a scam, making them particularly cautious about sharing personal details online.
Other shoppers, however, see plenty of potential.
Nathalia Monteiro already uses AI for everyday tasks, including finding recipes and figuring out which ingredients she needs.
She says having a similar tool built into Walmart’s shopping platform could make those tasks even easier.
“Definitely. Especially if they mention which products and brands are the best for that recipe, I think that would be amazing,” she said.
A growing trend in retail
Retail analyst Bruce Winder says Walmart’s move is part of a much larger shift in the retail industry, as major companies increasingly turn to artificial intelligence to help customers discover and research products.
He says the technology could be particularly appealing to Canadians looking for ways to save time and money.
“Especially in this economy, a lot of people will find it quite useful in terms of showing best price options,” Winder said.
But he cautions consumers not to rely entirely on AI-generated recommendations.
Winder says some AI platforms can provide outdated pricing or recommend products that are no longer available. He believes shopping assistants operated directly by retailers may offer more accurate product information but says shoppers should still verify what they’re being shown.
“It’ll save you time, it’ll narrow things down, but you still have to put in some due diligence to verify things before you buy,” he said.
What about privacy?
Walmart Canada’s privacy policy allows the company to collect certain customer information, including purchase history, online activity, and payment details, depending on how customers interact with its services.
The policy also permits the use of personal information for personalized product recommendations and advertising. It does not, however, establish Sparky itself accesses every category of information covered by the company’s broader privacy policy.
In September, Walmart Inc. president and CEO John Furner pledged that information shared with Sparky would not be used to raise individual customers’ prices or conceal lower-priced products that meet their needs.
Walmart says it plans to expand Sparky’s capabilities in the future, including shopping using images and providing recipe inspiration. No timeline has been announced for those features.
For now, the LeVasseurs say they’re willing to adapt to new technology, but there’s still something to be said about shopping the old-fashioned way.
“If you start doing everything online, you don’t see people anymore. You don’t communicate with each other,” Lucie said.
