Walmart Looks Offline for AI Shopping Data Advantage

Walmart is trying to make its Sparky assistant smarter and more capable for shoppers by collecting more real-world data on how people shop inside its 3,500-plus U.S. superstores.

Gathering more in-store information has been a focus for the company since Sparky launched about a year ago, said Hari Vasudev, Walmart’s U.S. chief technology officer, and the retailer plans to expand those efforts. That could include tracking when shoppers talk with store staff and collecting more information about how people are using Walmart’s other offline services, such as urgent care clinics and auto repair, he said.