It was a big week for agentic artificial intelligence at Walmart and Amazon as the two companies outlined plans to capitalize on the technology’s momentum among consumers and enterprises.
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Walmart announced tools that will let customers authorize AI agents to shop on their behalf, with spending limits and separate purchase records. An Amazon press release said PwC is using its Amazon Quick platform to help businesses put agents to work assessing technology investments and reducing sales teams’ administrative tasks.
The announcements, both made on Wednesday (Oct. 21), address different sides of the same challenge: giving AI permission to act while keeping people in control. For Walmart, that means establishing rules for agents making purchases. For Amazon’s enterprise business, it means connecting AI agents to company information and processes so they can complete tasks.
Walmart’s announcement centers on three elements: Agent Profiles, the Walmart Agent Gateway and terms governing how agents operate. Together, they are intended to support shopping at Walmart and Sam’s Club through the apps and agents customers choose.
Agent Profiles, scheduled to launch within the next month, will give each authorized agent a dedicated profile inside a customer’s account. That will separate purchases made by agents from those made directly by shoppers.
Customers can require approval for every purchase or allow an AI agent to spend within a specified limit, such as $50, $100 or $200. They can also delete an agent’s profile at any time.
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