Walmart is embracing artificial intelligence to streamline store operations and boost efficiency. But unlike the layoffs often associated with automation, the retail giant says its 1.6 million-strong US workforce will remain steady over the next two to five years. The move, as reported by Fortune, underscores Walmart’s bet that AI can reshape roles rather than eliminate them, turning routine store jobs into higher-paying, more technical positions.
A larger business, same headcount
According to Fortune, Walmart US CEO John Furner said the company plans to operate a larger business without adding more workers. That means per-worker productivity will rise, with AI absorbing repetitive tasks and freeing employees for more complex duties.“Many jobs will effectively disappear. But many old roles will be replaced by new ones within Walmart,” Furner told Fortune, signaling a shift toward job transformation rather than mass displacement.
Careers in transition
For frontline employees, that transformation is already underway. Fortune highlighted the story of Maurice, a general manager in Brooksville, Florida, who began his Walmart career two decades ago loading trucks.Today, he supervises a team of bot technicians who handle circuit boards and battery replacements for automated systems.Furner pointed to such transitions as evidence that Walmart’s approach extends, rather than ends, careers. “We’re extending people’s careers and those jobs pay better. The attrition rates are really low,” he told Fortune.
Training workers for the AI era
To support its workforce, Walmart has partnered with OpenAI to create a certification program designed to help employees learn AI tools as a pathway to career advancement.
In practice, AI is already changing the way employees work. Task management, once a tedious process taking managers 30 to 45 minutes per shift, is now handled almost instantly through AI-generated lists. Walmart is also deploying AI to advise its merchants and third-party marketplace sellers on what to stock, how to curate assortments, and where to place items in stores, making decisions faster and more data-driven.
Strong financial cushion
Walmart’s confidence in maintaining headcount comes amid healthy financial performance. As Fortune reported, the retailer’s US revenue grew 4.7% to $462.42 billion last year. Looking ahead, the company expects sales growth of up to 4.75% this fiscal year, bolstered by strong first-quarter results.This financial stability gives Walmart breathing room to invest in retraining and upskilling, rather than pursuing cost cuts through layoffs.
Implications for US jobs
Walmart’s strategy sets a notable precedent in a labor market unsettled by automation. By pledging not to shrink its headcount, the company is signalling that AI adoption does not have to equal job destruction. Instead, the world’s largest retailer is offering a case study in how employers can balance efficiency with employment stability.
Whether other companies follow Walmart’s path remains an open question. But as Fortune points out, the stakes are high: Walmart’s choices don’t just affect its own 1.6 million workers — they shape expectations for the broader US workforce navigating the AI transition.