Walmart taps Instacart exec to head up AI efforts; rolling out AI ‘super agents’
Walmart is accelerating its artificial intelligence adoption with a key hire and a new framework for AI made up of “super agents” designed to improve the shopping experience for customers and streamline operations.
Daniel Danker, chief product officer at Instacart, is leaving the company after four and a half years to join Walmart as executive VP of AI acceleration, product and design. He announced the news on LinkedIn, writing that “few companies have embraced change and technology as boldly — or as effectively” (as Walmart).
“It’s a company that has transformed commerce multiple times by staying relentlessly focused on customers, members and associates,” Danker said. “It’s people-led and tech-powered, grounded in local impact while operating at incredible scale. We’re on the eve of another transformation as AI enables us to reinvent commerce and serve customers and communities in entirely new ways.”
Danker will report directly to Walmart CEO Doug McMillion, reported The Wall Street Journal.
[READ MORE: Walmart deploys real-time AI and automation across global supply chain]
Danker is joining the retail giant as it continues to unveil new AI initiatives. In a post on LinkedIn, Suresh Kumar, global chief technology officer and chief development officer at Walmart, said that the chain is rolling out a new framework for its AI tools made up of four “super agents” powered by agentic AI that will act as access points for its customers, employees, and partners. Each of the super agents will incorporate multiple AI agents some of which are already in use, such as an agent that helps employees navigate benefits.
“We’re combining AI with breakthrough tech — like drones and real-time digital twins of our facilities — to predict and prevent issues before they happen,” Kumar said. "With geospatial data and insights from Flipkart, we plan to offer dynamic delivery windows to 95% of U.S. households by the end of this year.”
To read Kumar’s full post, click here.
