A new Walmart in-store AI is giving employees advice on how to sell [Video]

Produce goes bad and clothes go out of fashion fast, issues that add to the massive food and retail waste the world’s major retailers are on the hook to solve. Walmart thinks AI is part of the answer.

The big-box giant is launching an in-store artificial intelligence to advise employees on everything from banana ripening to seasonal fashion that may need to be put on sale before it’s too late. 

The internally developed AI technology allows Walmart employees to scan produce like bananas to see how ripe the product is. Then, using generative AI, a digital dashboard will make a suggestion on what to do with the product, eliminating the need for human decision making in the absence of informed advice. 

Giving AI to associates will help them make data-driven proactive decisions that lead to reduced waste in stores, said Swati Kirti, senior director of data science at Walmart International Tech.

The AI may advise the employee to …