Walmart faces scrutiny over patent trail for AI-driven price manipulation

The report, titled The Walmart Watchtower, highlights a discrepancy between public assurances and corporate filings. While Walmart executive Dan Bartlett recently dismissed claims of dynamic pricing as mischaracterizations, the watchdog group points to more than a dozen patents designed to influence shopping habits. These include technologies for running pricing experiments, withholding coupons from specific demographics, and setting search results based on a customer's purchase history and location.

Beyond simple price adjustments, the patented technology describes tracking capabilities that extend into the intimate details of daily life. Applications suggest the potential for using in-store cameras, facial recognition, and even health metrics like heart rate to gauge reactions to products. Lindsay Owens, president of Groundwork, argues that these tools are not merely theoretical experiments but deliberate investments in a profit strategy that targets consumer budgets. The clash intensified after Walmart US CEO Dave Guggina told investors that the company's AI shopping assistant, Sparky, consistently increases average order values by 40%.