Walmart to develop AI technology to run its stores

Artificial intelligence (AI) is finding more and more ways to replace humans in the workplace and corporations seem to revel in its progress. Amazon used it for smart product recommendations for its users and Google uses it for its flagship search engine. Several companies have adopted this revolutionary technology for purposes that range from customer support, cybersecurity, robotics, etc. leveraging the advantage of predictive analysis. Now, the American retail giant Walmart is also looking to expand its AI footprint.

It disclosed its decision to launch what it calls an intelligent retail lab inside one of its stores. Walmart wants to use this to develop an intelligent system to identify when a store’s stocks are low and preemptively take measures to replenish those goods. Efforts are well underway to implement this technology and carry out extensive testing for it. Among other applications of AI techniques here is to emulate a cashier, a must have for every store, however big or small everywhere on the globe. Furthermore, other applications on the drawing board include electronic labeling on the shelves to promote on-the-spot billing, automated mobile checkout and so on.

While all of this may seem like something from a fascinating sci-fi movie, it also raises grave concerns. Walmart employs tens of thousands of employees in its stores all across the world. The increasing automation may replace all those employees whose lives depend on their jobs. The same is true for AI implementations across the board for all industries.