Walmart is bracing for artificial intelligence to transform its workforce, with CEO Doug McMillon warning that AI will touch “literally every job,” The Wall Street Journal writes.
The retail giant, the nation’s largest private employer with 2.1 million workers, expects overall head count to remain steady over the next three years—but job composition will shift dramatically. Some positions will be eliminated as automation spreads across warehouses and back-of-store functions, while new roles emerge, such as “agent builders” who design AI tools for merchants.
Executives say Walmart is tracking job categories closely to prepare employees for transitions. McMillon stresses that people will remain central to customer service, even as chatbots and automation expand.
The comments come as corporate leaders at Ford, JPMorgan and Amazon echo blunt warnings about AI-related job losses. Walmart’s approach highlights both the risks and opportunities of the shift: workforce disruption on one side, and new pathways for training, delivery and customer-facing roles on the other.
