As the world is becoming more and more technology-driven, America’s retail giant, Walmart, is trying to keep up with the digital landscape. By doing this, the retail giant implemented new technology, which will now result in the elimination of human jobs. There are millions of new AI-Powered sensors that will automate ‘time-consuming’ manual tasks for the retailer’s employees. Although this might be an easy and convenient way to go about things, there are also other factors to consider, such as the human jobs that will be impacted.
Details behind the new technology
Walmart is deploying millions of ambient Internet of Things (IoT) battery-free sensors throughout the company’s major supply chain in the United States. The retail giant is utilizing technology from Wiliot in what the IoT vendor is calling the first large-scale deployment of ambient IoT in the retail sector. It has also been stated that this is the largest implementation of IoT Sensors.
For this reason, Walmart will be using the IoT sensors to track pallets nationwide by the end of 2026. As stated by Cathey, the “Expansion to other global markets is under consideration, but the immediate focus is the U.S. rollout.” Also, the retailer will now have real-time insights into its inventory management. By having these insights, Walmart will now know exactly where merchandise is located and whether it is owned by the retailer. Additionally, this can be done at any moment and covering an estimated 90 million pallets of inventory when at full scale.
Benefits of the IoT Sensors
When it comes to the implementation of ambient IoT sensors, there are several things that makes it significant. Some of these benefits includes the fact that it provides a new stream of data into AI systems, it enables them to be even more effective in providing Walmart with a greater visibility into supply chain operations.
As stated by Cathey, the technology initiative is already making a significant impact by eliminating some of Walmart’s manual tasks and providing automated alerts. He further alluded to the fact that “Associates no longer need to perform time-consuming checks to locate items. Automated alerts now flag this information in real time, allowing associates to act faster and dedicate more time to serving customers.” In addition, the enhanced visibility into the supply chain helps when it comes to resolving any inventory discrepancies, through allowing improved consumer experiences.
Although Cathey did not disclose specific figures such as cost savings benefits, Walmart is anticipating gains from higher supply chain efficiency. The company is also expecting several other benefits such as improved inventory accuracy, reduced manual tasks for associates, and the ability to get items on shelves more quickly. Cathy stated that “Customers [will] benefit from better product availability and consistency.”
The impact on human jobs
Although the aforementioned benefits sound really good and well thought of, the main concern that should thought about now is the impact it has on the human jobs. When employees are being replaced with AI bots due to efficiency, time reducing, and many other reasons, other aspects should also be kept in mind. Things like what will happen to the employees once these technology systems take over. Will they lose their jobs and add to the unemployment statistics of the country? Therefore, Walmart should be things about other aspect and not just the benefits of the AI technology.