Customer ServiceAugments Human LaborVerified

Reviewed and published by trentmaziarz, March 22, 2026. Discovered and drafted by our automated research pipeline.

Ask Sam is a voice assistant for Walmart store employees. Workers can speak or type questions into the Me@Walmart employee app and immediately get answers — like where a product is on the shelf, what its price is, what their schedule looks like, or what messages managers have sent. It was expanded to all 5,000-plus U.S. Walmart stores in July 2020, and employees ask it over 3 million questions per week.

Details

Ask Sam was originally developed for Sam's Club in 2019, then deployed across all Walmart U.S. stores through the Me@Walmart app in July 2020. The tool uses machine learning to improve its accuracy over time as more employees use it. In June 2025, Walmart announced a generative AI upgrade that converts complex internal process documents into simple step-by-step instructions associates can follow. About 900,000 associates use the tool. Although it is employee-facing, it directly improves customer service by helping staff answer shopper questions faster and more accurately.

Products affected

Me@Walmart employee app

Sources & Evidence

Company Disclosure

Company DisclosureVerified

Walmart Unveils New AI-Powered Tools To Empower 1.5 Million Associates

Walmart Corporate·Jun 2025

https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2025/06/24/walmart-unveils-new-ai-powered-tools-to-empower-1-5-million-associates

Company DisclosureVerified

Helping Associates Succeed at Work, While Elevating Customer Service & Safety

Walmart Corporate·Jul 2020

https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2020/07/29/helping-associates-succeed-at-work-while-elevating-customer-service-safety

News Article

Walmart launches its own voice assistant, ‘Ask Sam,’ initially for employee use

TechCrunch·Jul 2020

https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/29/walmart-launches-its-own-voice-assistant-ask-sam-initially-for-employee-use/

Cite this record

Trace Foundation. (2026). Walmart: Ask Sam is a voice assistant for Walmart store employees. Workers can speak or type questions into the Me@Walmart employee app and immediately get answers — like where a product is on the shelf, what its price is, what their schedule looks like, or what messages managers have sent. It was expanded to all 5,000-plus U.S. Walmart stores in July 2020, and employees ask it over 3 million questions per week (data as of 2026-03-22) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/721753c6-4b1b-40cb-8d19-2c8215eff792. Accessed October 14, 2026.

Stable link: https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/721753c6-4b1b-40cb-8d19-2c8215eff792
Data as of: March 22, 2026
Last verified: June 6, 2026

How to cite AI Trace

Other practices by Walmart

OtherWalmart is piloting an AI tool that simulates a job interview for candidates applying to work at the company. It walks applicants through up to 10 practice questions, scores each response on a scale of 1 to 10, and gives instant feedback on how clearly and confidently the person answered. The pilot began in June 2025 with current Walmart employees and was planned to expand to all applicants.OtherWalmart delivers orders using drones and self-driving trucks that operate without a human driver. Drone delivery is available near 270-plus Walmart stores and is on track to reach 40 million Americans. In 2021, Walmart and an autonomous trucking company called Gatik completed the world's first fully driverless commercial delivery route, with no safety driver in the cab.OtherWalmart uses AI software to plan the most efficient routes for its delivery trucks, figure out how to pack trailers to minimize wasted space, and cut unnecessary miles from its logistics network. Walmart says this eliminated 30 million unnecessary miles and avoided 94 million pounds of CO₂ emissions. The company now sells this same routing technology to other businesses as a commercial software product.

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