Walmart partners with OpenAI to offer free AI training and certification to its U.S. workforce, launching in 2026.
The initiative is part of OpenAI's goal to certify 10 million Americans by 2030, enhancing workforce skills.
Walmart's $1 billion commitment to skills training includes AI "super agents" to support employees and suppliers.
Despite no immediate sales lift, Walmart sees AI as crucial for future retail success, focusing on workforce upskilling.
Analysts predict Walmart's stock could rise due to its strategic AI deployment, aligning with other legacy companies.
Walmart is partnering with OpenAI to provide free AI training and certification to its massive U.S. workforce, a major bet that upskilling its human employees is the key to winning the next era of retail.
AI for everyone: Set to launch in 2026, the program will give both frontline and office workers access to a new certification through Walmart Academy, its internal platform that has already reached over 3.5 million employees. The initiative is a cornerstone of OpenAI's larger goal to certify 10 million Americans by 2030 and is complemented by a new Jobs Platform to connect skilled workers with employers.
Rise of the super agents: The move plugs into Walmart’s nearly $1 billion commitment to skills training and its aggressive integration of AI across its business. The company recently rolled out a framework of AI "super agents" designed to support everyone from store associates to suppliers.
Still early days: "The future of retail won’t be defined by technology alone — it will be defined by people who know how to use it," said Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner. Still, the financial payoff remains on the horizon, as Walmart leadership admitted on an August earnings call that the company isn't seeing a sales lift from AI yet, calling these the "very early days" for the tech's impact.
Walmart's investment suggests the real AI arms race in retail isn't just about deploying the smartest tech, but about creating the smartest workforce to wield it. Meanwhile, other giants are placing their own AI bets, with McDonald's using AI to predict when its ice cream machines will fail. The move is getting noticed on Wall Street, where analysts predict Walmart's stock could rise on its AI strategy. The initiative places Walmart among a class of legacy companies, including Berkshire Hathaway, that have the most to gain from deploying AI.
