Walmart experiments with AI to monitor stores in real time

[Sherman A1]

LEVITTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Who’s minding the store? In the not-too-distant future it could be cameras and sensors that can tell almost instantly when bruised bananas need to be swapped for fresh ones and more cash registers need to open before lines get too long.

Walmart, which faces fierce competition from Amazon and other online retailers, is experimenting with digitizing its physical stores to manage them more efficiently, keep costs under control and make the shopping experience more pleasant. On Thursday, the retail giant officially opens its Intelligent Retail Lab inside a 50,000-square-foot Neighborhood Market grocery store on Long Island.

Thousands of cameras suspended from the ceiling, combined with other technology like sensors on shelves, will monitor the store in real time so workers can quickly replenish products or fix other problems.

The technology, shown first to The Associated Press, will also be able to spot spills, track when shelves need to be restocked and know when shopping carts are running low. Cameras, for example, can determine how ripe bananas are from their color, and workers will get an alert on their phone if they need to be replaced.

https://apnews.com/d416ba3945d64975994805db55467744

[matt819]

1. Soon

There won’t be enough people with jobs or money to buy those fucking bananas.

[Sherman A1]

2. Yup

and we need to come to some realization that the world is changing and lots of jobs are going to be lost to AI, Automation and Consolidation.

[spinbaby]

3. Perhaps if they had people to notice these things

I generally avoid our local Walmart, but found myself there early Easter morning because they were the only ones open. There were employees stocking shelves, but not enough because the place was a mess. The employees perfectly well knew the place was a mess, but there weren’t enough of them to fix it quickly. AI wouldn’t have helped the matter.

[Sherman A1]

4. It takes awhile to put a store back together

after a holiday rush, snow storm or alike. The load they were working was probably ordered a day or so before and even if it was onthe shelf the store would have been a mess as what was needed would still be enroute or have to be ordered. Short staffing as you indicate just makes it all that much worse.