NEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — OpenAI is partnering with Walmart to let shoppers make purchases directly within ChatGPT, furthering the artificial intelligence company's push to turn its chatbot into a virtual merchant as it seeks to boost revenue.In an Tuesday announcement, Walmart said the new offering will give customers the option to “simply chat and buy." That means the retailer’s products would be available through instant checkout in ChatGPT — allowing users to buy anything from meal ingredients or household items, to other goods they might be discussing with the chatbot.“For many years now, eCommerce shopping experiences have consisted of a search bar and a long list of item responses," Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in a prepared statement.“That is about to change.”Sam Altman, cofounder and CEO of OpenAI, added that the partnership would "make everyday purchases a little simpler.”The companies didn't immediately specify when ChatGPT users would be able to start purchasing Walmart products within the platform.
Tuesday's announcement from Walmart just noted that the offering would be available “soon.” But the partnership marks OpenAI's latest expansion into online commerce.The company has recently launched similar offerings for Shopify and Etsy sellers.Popular ReadsGovernment shutdown updates: White House warns layoffs will continueOct 14, 7:48 PMIsrael-Gaza live updates: IDF says that 1 body returned is not a hostage4 hours ago16 dead after 'devastating' blast at Tennessee explosives plant, sheriff saysOct 11, 8:30 PMTeaming up with Walmart — the nation’s largest retailer — marks an even more sizeable leap for OpenAI in this space.
And competing with the likes of Amazon and Google for purchase fees from digital shopping could be a new source of money for the company.OpenAI hasn’t made a profit and has relied on investors to back the costs of building and running its powerful AI systems.When announcing its Etsy and Shopify partners...