MISSISSAUGA — Walmart Inc. has brought its AI chatbot Sparky to Canada, more than a year after the retailer first rolled out the shopping assistant in the United States.
The chatbot allows consumers to find and compare products or assist in building a shopping list.
Andrew Go, vice-president of e-commerce at Walmart Canada, says Sparky can help consumers with questions and plan shopping lists based on a specific budget or an occasion such as a holiday meal.
Walmart CEO John Furner last month vowed that its AI shopping assistant will not use personal information such as income or shopping history to set personalized prices for customers or hide lower-priced options.
The pledge came as concerns grew from some shoppers skeptical about the rollout of digital price labels and the retailer’s push to integrate AI.
Meanwhile, Loblaw Cos. Ltd. integrated its grocery delivery app into OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT in February — a first among grocers.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2026.
