Walmart reaffirms ban on AI-driven personalized pricing amid criticism

Walmart has doubled down on its commitment not to employ AI or personal data for setting individualized prices, with executive vice president Dan Bartlett sending a letter to refute accusations from Lindsay Owens, author of "Gouged." Bartlett emphasized that the retailer's pricing strategy targets items, not consumers, and that it does not adjust prices in response to factors like weather or shopper behavior. He explained that digital shelf labels simply replace paper tags for faster, consistent price changes and do not independently determine prices.

The company also rejected claims that its AI shopping assistant, Sparky, inflates costs, arguing that higher average order values among users do not equate to higher per-item charges. Owens, who leads Groundwork Collaborative, responded by releasing a new patent analysis and urging scrutiny of the data Sparky can access, citing privacy and pricing concerns. The exchange follows a prior letter from Walmart CEO John Furner reaffirming the "Every Day Low Prices" promise.