Walmart vows AI won’t charge shoppers more based on personal data
Let’s not get personal.
Walmart AI says no to dynamic pricing. Image by Cybernews.
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- Walmart says its AI tools will not use personal data to set different prices for individual shoppers.
- CEO John Furner said Walmart prices products, not people, and will keep its low-price strategy.
- The pledge comes as retailers use AI and customer data to personalize shopping experiences.
- Walmart says it will test its systems and monitor digital pricing tools as technology develops.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Walmart says its AI shopping tools won’t use personal data for personalized pricing or charge specific shoppers higher prices. The retailer says AI pricing, income, shopping history, urgency, and customer data won’t determine what shoppers pay.
Most of us know that prices can change depending on demand, whether for booking flights, concert tickets, or hailing an Uber.
Dynamic pricing rarely delights and often frustrates, especially when there’s a premium on your 5 p.m. burrito delivery. Real-time data capture by an AI assistant can continually track active logins, your location, and past purchasing habits to adjust pricing.
Walmart, America’s largest retailer, has assured customers that its AI assistant won’t profile them or use their personal data to adjust prices based on income, urgency, or shopping history.
The pledge comes as retailers increasingly experiment with AI and customer data to personalize shopping experiences, raising questions about whether the same technology could eventually personalize prices.
We price the product, not the person…we don’t set different prices based on who you are or the time of day, and we won’t,Walmart CEO John Furner said.
Walmart has used its Every Day Low Prices model for more than 50 years and is adamant about leaving the strategy unchanged.
Personalized pricing, however, usually dominates online, as everyone has their own unique display, and most likely cannot see the price for the same item for a nearby user.
But when AI assistants become more widespread, it’s no wonder customers may fear dynamic pricing infringing on their brick-and-mortar shopping experience, too.
Sparky and the personal-data question
Walmart released its AI assistant, Sparky, in Summer 2025 and at the time promoted the bot as “search and find items, synthesize reviews, and offer insights to prepare for any occasion.”
And now, Furner drew the line between AI assistance and individualized pricing by claiming Sparky is “an invitation to serve you better, not to use your personal information to set a personalized price.”
He added that Walmart “never used the relationships our associates have with customers to charge more, and we won’t do that with AI.”
The retailer also said it plans to monitor and test its systems to ensure they comply with its pricing commitments as technology develops.
Walmart emphasized that employee feedback will be important in its pricing considerations, while signaling its intention to stay abreast of technological developments by regularly testing its in-store digital pricing boards.
