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Walmart opens door for AI agents to shop, while Amazon blocks them
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Walmart opens door for AI agents to shop, while Amazon blocks them

Walmart launches Agent Profiles and Agent Gateway to let AI agents shop for customers, taking the opposite approach to Amazon which blocks bots.

Ammar Rahimi · 22 October 2026 · 4 min read

Walmart announced on October 21, 2026 three new tools that allow AI agents to shop on behalf of customers. The move comes as Amazon, its main rival, blocks AI bots from its website. Walmart becomes the first major retailer to officially open its doors to agent-based commerce.

1. What Walmart launched

Walmart introduced three main components. First, Agent Profiles, rolling out next month. Each AI agent a customer uses gets its own dedicated profile within their Walmart account. This means purchases made by the agent appear separately from the customer's own purchases.

Second, the Walmart Agent Gateway, an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that lets AI agents like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Meta Muse connect directly to Walmart and Sam's Club systems. Agents no longer need to navigate a website designed for humans. Instead, they access inventory directly and make purchases faster and more accurately.

Third, Walmart established specific terms for AI agents. Agents cannot access customer payment information, cannot take actions beyond what the shopper intends, and can only access information needed for the given task. Agents that do not comply will be blocked from Walmart's site.

2. Customers stay in control

Walmart built this system with customer control as a priority. Customers can choose between two approval modes: approval for every purchase, or allow the agent to buy up to a spending limit they set, for example $50, $100, or $200.

Agent profiles can be deleted at any time. Purchases made by the agent appear separately from the customer's own orders. Walmart also says its regular returns process applies, including when an agent does not act as intended.

A key privacy feature is that the Agent Gateway only shares relevant patterns or preferences, such as a customer's usual detergent brand, without sharing the entire purchase history with the agent.

3. Amazon takes the opposite path

Amazon, Walmart's largest rival, took the opposite approach. In September 2026, Amazon blocked Meta's AI agent Muse from its website, saying agents violated Amazon's conditions of use. Amazon also filed a lawsuit against Perplexity and imposed restrictions on agents from Google and OpenAI.

The two retailers now stand on opposite sides. Walmart welcomes AI agents as a new sales channel. Amazon treats agents as a threat to its platform control. This difference could reshape how e-commerce operates in the coming years.

4. AI agents go mainstream

AI agents differ from chatbots. Chatbots only answer questions. AI agents can carry out multi-step tasks on a user's behalf, such as searching for products, comparing prices, and completing purchases.

Meta launched its Muse agent in September 2026 and it has been downloaded more than 10 million times, according to Sensor Tower data cited by Le Monde and AFP. Anthropic released Claude Duet on October 21, 2026, an agent that works in the background and can make online purchases with user approval. OpenAI previously launched its own always-on agents called Dots.

Major tech companies are investing heavily in agents, which the industry sees as the next phase of the AI boom that followed the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.

5. Implications for ASEAN markets

Although these tools launched in the United States, the implications reach Malaysia and the ASEAN region. Local e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada will need to decide their stance on AI agents. ASEAN countries developing AI frameworks, including Malaysia with its AI Nation 2030 goal, will need to consider regulations for agent-based commerce.

Malaysia stated its commitment to regional cooperation on AI-based cybersecurity at the Singapore International Cyber Week on October 15, 2026. Agent commerce adds a new layer to these concerns, as agents making autonomous purchasing decisions could be vulnerable to fraud or abuse if not properly controlled.

What it means for you

Agent-based commerce is still in early stages, but growing fast. Here is what you need to know:

  1. Control stays with you: Walmart designed its system so customers keep control over purchases, with spending limits and approval for each transaction. Agents cannot access payment information.
  2. Compare approaches: Amazon blocks AI agents, Walmart welcomes them. If you use an AI agent to shop, choose a platform that gives you clear control and transparency.
  3. Privacy matters: Walmart's Agent Gateway only shares information needed for the task, not your entire purchase history. Ask how other platforms handle your data before letting an agent connect to your account.
  4. Watch ASEAN developments: Local e-commerce platforms have not yet opened their doors to AI agents officially. But this will arrive, and Malaysia's regulations need to be ready before it does.
  5. Start small: If you want to try an AI agent for shopping, set a low spending limit first, and always review agent orders separately from your own.

Sources