Walmart’s Longstanding Culture of Listening Now Guides Its AI-Driven CX Strategy

Two decades ago, then-CEO Lee Scott's "Twenty-First Century Leadership" speech challenged Walmart to listen with intent, act with courage, and embrace a new era of accountability. What began as a cultural turning point has become a defining principle for Walmart as a people-led, tech-powered company. That mindset now fuels how Walmart builds modern systems, including AI-powered engines that interpret millions of customer interactions. The heart of the company’s digital strategy is rooted in the belief that technology is most valuable when it solves real problems and improves everyday experiences for customers and associates.

For nearly a decade, Kasyap Vissapragada, Director of AI Experiences, E-commerce at Walmart, has transformed advanced data and AI concepts into production-grade systems that influence how one of the world’s largest retailers operates. His work spans large-scale engineering leadership, patented customer-facing tools, and creating measurable impact across inventory, forecasting, and digital experiences. Yet, the guiding philosophy behind his work traces back to the principles Scott outlined: responsibility, courage, and doing what’s right.

If learning defined Walmart’s early years, today it defines its technological evolution. Conversations with customers in stores have expanded into real-time digital signals, search patterns, service interactions, and interactions across millions of daily sessions.

• Put people first: "The work our team does—identifying trends quickly, distilling large amounts of feedback, and anticipating the intent behind customer behaviors—still comes from the same core philosophy," Vissapragada says. "Put people first."

These modern signals allow Walmart to see not just what customers say, but what they are trying to accomplish: finding items faster, navigating more intuitively, or resolving friction with fewer steps. AI becomes a tool to translate intent into better experiences.

• People-led, tech-powered: Walmart’s approach to innovation is grounded in a simple principle: technology should amplify people, not replace them. "Even as we explore and utilize new technologies and automation, the focus is always on ensuring we’re using technology that benefits people first," Vissapragada explains.

• Developed with intention: That means building AI with intention and responsibility. Walmart’s approach prioritizes responsible data use, privacy and safety, and human oversight with values-driven judgment. "AI gives us new ways to understand customer needs," he says, "but it must be developed with intention. Our culture is built on doing the right thing, and that applies just as much to technology as it does to people."

• Values guide value: The goal is not simply efficiency. It’s to enhance experiences rather than replace the human connection that defines Walmart’s brand. "AI helps us understand at scale," Vissapragada adds. "But it’s our people, our judgment, and our values that guide how we provide solutions that matter."

For Vissapragada, the future isn't about predicting needs out of thin air. It’s about recognizing what customers are already expressing through their behavior and developing solutions that meet their needs. "People are already using AI to tell us what they need," he says. "The demand is right in front of us. That’s where the next wave of innovation starts."

Walmart’s evolution from store-floor conversations to real-time insights may reflect technological progress, but the principle remains unchanged: listen carefully, act with conviction, and let values guide the path forward.