Walmart will launch shopping directly in ChatGPT. The stock has a record, but what are the risks?

Walmart, the largest US retailer, has announced a partnership with OpenAI for online shopping. The companies will add to ChatGPT's artificial intelligence the ability to purchase goods directly through the chatbot interface. This could make shopping faster and more personalized, but there are questions about data privacy and the reliability of the algorithms. Walmart investors viewed the deal very positively, with the stock hitting an all-time high.

Major retailer Walmart on Tuesday announced an agreement with OpenAI that will allow shoppers to make quick purchases directly in ChatGPT. "This is agent-based commerce in business, where AI goes from reactive to proactive, from static to dynamic. It learns, plans and predicts, helping shoppers anticipate their needs before they realize them themselves," Walmart said in a statement.

Purchases through ChatGPT will work through the Instant Checkout feature that OpenAI first announced in late September. Walmart did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement, but OpenAI reported that it will charge companies a fee for transactions made through ChatGPT, CNBC noted. Accordingly, this will be a new source of revenue for OpenAI, the channel added.

"For years, online shopping has been reduced to a search box and a long list of results. Now that's all about to change. We're in for a native experience based on artificial intelligence - multimedia, personalized and contextual," said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, his words are quoted in the company's statement.

Walmart shares rose more than 5% in trading on October 14 and set a new record, reaching $107.7. Since the beginning of 2025, they have added 19% in value.

Walmart's agreement with OpenAI is "an important step forward in the introduction and broader adoption of AI-enabled commerce," said Mizuho analyst David Bellinger, he was quoted as saying by Barron's.

"Walmart is the obvious early adopter here while others are slow to adapt or even try to block AI-enabled web robots. In our view, early leader status in this vertical could significantly boost sales of Walmart's core business of consumer goods and food," Bellinger wrote.

The deal confirms DA Davidson's view that Walmart will be the front-runner in the race for traditional retailers in the agency trade, said Michael Baker, an analyst at the investment firm.

Despite the rapid proliferation of AI-assisted shopping, concerns remain: the technology is still vulnerable to disruption, NBC News noted. Digital privacy experts warn that using AI shopping assistants could give retailers even more personal data about consumers than they have now, the channel added.

Walmart stock has 40 ratings from analysts and almost all recommend buying the stock: 31 Buy ratings and eight Overweight ratings, MarketWatch shows. And only one advises holding the stock (Hold). The average target price of $114.53 is 12% above the last closing price.

The collaboration with Walmart is the next in a series of agreements by OpenAI, which in recent weeks has announced long-term partnerships with major companies in artificial intelligence and chip manufacturing. Many of these deals are structured as "closed-loop investments," where financial flows circulate between the same market players, according to NBC News. Analysts warn that such an internal structure could hide vulnerabilities within the companies at the helm of the AI boom. However, partnerships with external companies such as Walmart could partially dispel these concerns, the channel noted.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor