Walmart and AI: Preparing the Workforce of Tomorrow

Walmart CEO has warned that “AI is going to change literally every job.” Walmart is the world’s largest private employer with 2.1 million workers. According to Entrepreneur, CEO Doug McMillon stressed there are no plans for sweeping layoffs, with headcount expected to stay stable over the next three years as jobs shift, disappear, or evolve. Change will unfold unevenly, with call centers automating faster than other areas.

Chief People Officer Donna Morris acknowledged much remains unknown, while McMillon emphasized the goal is opportunity, equipping employees with tools and support to manage the transition. Walmart has already added automation in warehouses and cut corporate jobs, while also creating new roles like “agent builders” and deploying AI chatbots for customers, staff, and partners. The company is simultaneously reducing and adding jobs as AI takes hold.

Different Views from CEOs

McMillon’s stance contrasts with leaders who predict steep job losses. Anthropic’s Dario Amodei has warned that half of entry-level white-collar jobs could vanish within five years, while Ford, JPMorgan, and Amazon executives have also raised alarms. Walmart, by comparison, emphasizes adaptation and reskilling over mass cuts, with McMillon signaling disruption is coming but assuring workers they will have a place in the company’s future (Entrepreneur).

Skills-over-Degrees Approach

AI and demographic shifts are reshaping the U.S. job market, and Walmart is responding with a skills-over-degrees approach. In AP News, at its Bentonville headquarters, it hosted 300 experts for the Skills-First Workforce Initiative and has already invested in training drivers and technicians. Next year, it will add AI-focused training through a partnership with OpenAI.

Walmart’s history shows how new roles can offset losses: over the past decade, it added 200,000 online order-picking jobs even as others disappeared. McMillon hopes AI will bring similar growth, saying the net impact could be “even more people.” He highlighted store managers as an example of hybrid roles requiring leadership, community engagement, operations, and tech. Human skills, he said, remain essential: “They always have been, and that’ll be even more true in the future.”

OpenAI Training

Walmart will partner with OpenAI to launch an AI certification program for U.S. employees in 2026, part of its $1 billion skills training investment. CEO John Furner said the program will help associates maximize AI’s benefits and “rewrite the playbook” for the future of retail (HR Dive).

The certification will be delivered through Walmart Academy, the world’s largest private training program with 3.5 million participants as mentioned in Digital Commerce 360. It will sit alongside resources like Live Better U and ai.walmart.com. Chief People Officer Donna Morris said the training is designed to support both work and personal growth.

The initiative builds on Walmart’s broader AI roadmap, including its “super agent” framework and the appointment of Daniel Danker as EVP of AI acceleration. While financial returns are still early, CEO Doug McMillon called the roadmap “really exciting,” emphasizing Walmart’s people-first approach of being “people-led, tech-powered.”

Future of Jobs

AI will touch every job, and Walmart is showing that change can create opportunity. With a skills-first mindset, major training investments, and partnerships like OpenAI, the company is investing in people as much as technology. The message to employees is clear: they will have the tools and support to grow into the future of work.

For other businesses, the takeaway is hopeful. AI can spark stronger teams, new opportunities, and more rewarding careers when leaders guide the shift with care. Done right, this is about building a future of work where people and technology rise together.