Walmart CEO issues warning for millions of workers that AI will 'change literally every job'

Walmart is one of the most popular retail chains, not just in America but across the globe, and apart from serving millions of customers, it also employs a 2.1 million-strong workforce. But even after weathering the rise of e-commerce, Walmart's CEO has warned his workers regarding the rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on the organization. Announcing a new partnership with OpenAI, Doug McMillon shared that a skills program is in the works for 2026 that will train the company's global staff, according to the Associated Press. During a conference earlier this week, McMillon warned that every type of role within the organization must be prepared to adapt to the rise of AI in the workplace, and that it will "change literally every job". 

“It’s very clear that AI is going to change literally every job,” he told The Wall Street Journal later in an interview. “Maybe there’s a job in the world that AI won’t change, but I haven’t thought of it," he added. As per the publication, Walmart plans to freeze its global headcount of 2.1 million workers for the next three years while still aiming for revenue growth that is expected to come from the wider adoption of AI technologies. On the other hand, the impact has been a top concern for Walmart executives, who have discussed the potential role of AI in nearly every high-level meeting, according to The Journal.

Furthermore, McMillon has also expressed that white-collar office jobs are expected to be the first to be affected, as Walmart rolls out more AI-powered chatbots and other tools to handle customer-facing tasks and supply chain tracking. In another interview with the Associated Press, McMillon shared that workers in Walmart stores and even warehouses will see more tasks taken on by AI tools, and the ones remaining will also need to be willing to embrace the new technologies to stay relevant. “I think no one knows how this is going to play out exactly,” he told the outlet. 

With this, McMillon joined other high-profile CEOs who have hinted at plans to reduce their corporate workforces by integrating more AI tools and agents. The list includes Amazon’s Andy Jassy and Ford’s Jim Farley, who have already issued ominous warnings about AI’s potential to slam the workforce. As for Walmart, the company has already cut some jobs as many of its warehouses have integrated AI tools to streamline operations without needing certain roles. With the use of AI, according to executives, The Post reported. The company recently created a new “agent builder” role to hire employees who can build the AI agent tools.

However, McMillon is not open to every AI advance that comes Walmart's way. In the conference, he shared that several firms have pitched robot workers for the company, but they aren't going to be welcomed into the stores any time soon.  “Until we’re serving humanoid robots and they have the ability to spend money, we’re serving people,” he said. “We are going to put people in front of people," he further told the Post.

Furthermore, the retail giant is also planning to add more human workers for jobs like home delivery and its customer positions, like bakeries. The AI-related changes are expected to take effect gradually, as well, McMillon said.

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