Walmart’s New AI Assistant, ‘Sparky,’ Wants To Help Customers Shop Smarter

Walmart has debuted a new AI assistant, Sparky, designed specifically to help customers shop smarter within their stores.

Per a press release, the retailer’s generative AI assistant analyzes reviews, offers recommendations, and helps customers confidently plan, compare, and make purchases. Sparky is multi-modal with the ability to understand text, images, audio, and video.

This technology is the newest addition to Walmart’s expanding lineup of AI-driven shopping tools. It joins features such as smart search, review summaries, enhanced product descriptions, and side-by-side comparisons within the app and online to create a faster, more personalized shopping experience.

To access this new feature, customers can tap the “Ask Sparky” button in the app to get personalized help across every category. The AI assistant helps customers by taking the guesswork out of shopping by instantly answering product questions, highlighting key features, and comparing product options. It promises to be a boon to customers, helping them shop smarter, the release states.

Walmart suggested that by utilizing this new AI feature, customers will be on track to save time and money. “In today’s always-connected world, Sparky is here to do more than just answer questions; it is designed to be a trusted partner.”

“Ultimately, Sparky will solve everyday problems, freeing up time for what matters most. ‘What’s for dinner?’ becomes a week of family-approved meal plans with ingredients automatically added to the cart. ‘How do I fix this leaky faucet?’ turns into step-by-step guidance with the right tools ordered for same-day delivery. ‘I need party ideas!’ sparks a complete event planning session — theme, decorations, food, and gifts — all highly personalized and coordinated within budget,” the retailer added.

The press release concluded: “Soon, Sparky will do even more, giving customers the power to customize their experience, from automatically reordering household essentials to booking services that simplify even the most complex shopping tasks.”

Walmart Continues to Develop Smart, Retail Focused Technology

Walmart continues to develop smart, retail-focused technology built to make everyday tasks more efficient. Wally, a generative AI tool for merchants, made its debut in March 2025.

In a blog post, the retailer shared details of Wally and how it would help merchants streamline operations. The assistant was designed with Walmart’s own data, making it easy for merchants to access product insights without any technical training. Wally was created to boost team productivity across the board by streamlining time-consuming tasks and delivering instant insights.

“By automating time-consuming tasks and providing actionable insights, Wally enables merchants to focus on strategic, creative, and innovative activities that enhance customer experiences and meet evolving customer expectations,” the post said of the product.