Walmart announces Agent Gateway system for artificial intelligence shopping

Walmart has introduced Agent Gateway technology, which enables approved artificial intelligence agents to connect to Walmart and Sam’s Club platforms via the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to search inventory and shop on behalf of users. Announced by CEO John Furner at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, the system aims to allow customers to maintain control without directly sharing their personal payment information with the agents.

The Agent Gateway system includes custom Agent Profiles to manage permissions, spending limits, and transaction approvals. Additionally, Walmart has established specific terms of use that include return policies for agent-induced errors and security protocols to prevent unauthorized access to payment data. This move contrasts with Amazon's recent policies aimed at blocking artificial intelligence agents from its platform.