AI is often associated with certain aspects of hiring, like reviewing résumés. But Walmart’s chief people officer, Donna Morris, has used it for another part of the process: identifying potential candidates.

Morris often interviews leaders looking to join Walmart or transition within the company, such as tech and HR executives. She said she has used AI tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT to ask very specific queries about who might have the right background for a particular role when she’s “kicking off” a key search.

“You’ll be surprised at how close the actual sources that they come up with align with people who we’ve actually considered,” Morris said.

How Walmart uses AI in hiring

A Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider that Morris’s example isn’t part of a broader companywide approach to source candidates, or a practice that Morris uses in all of her searches. Morris, who oversees the largest private workforce in the US, found it useful in an instance where she had a specific leadership role to fill.

The executive said AI tools are a great way to find insights on people in general. While she’s a “big LinkedIn fan,” she said there’s an “ease and speed” to using tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

The executive’s comments come as Walmart has made large investments in AI, including in tools to help its associates improve. In June, the company announced an AI Interview Coach pilot. The tool simulates a Walmart interview by asking candidates up to 10 questions and providing them with scores along with feedback on areas like clarity and structure, the company said.

Earlier this month, the retail giant also announced plans to launch a tailored version of OpenAI’s Certification Program through Walmart Academy. OpenAI recently said it would start to offer certifications for varying levels of “AI fluency,” with plans to certify 10 million Americans by 2030.

AI in daily life

Morris also uses AI in her everyday life, she told Business Insider. She said it’s a great source for finding recommendations for restaurants or places to go. She’s also used it for design inspiration. She said she was recently at a restaurant with an art piece on the wall that she liked, so she used AI to figure out where to find a similar picture.

She also said she was recently FaceTiming her father, who had some spots on his skin. By doing a quick search with AI, she was able to find out that it was actually bruising due to a recent medication change. While she could have used WebMD or another website, she said AI provides the ability to get data quickly.

Morris said she started her career when people still had to go to a library to conduct research.

“Now, the access to information is phenomenal,” Morris said. “I think it’s a real advantage for our current generation and generations ahead in terms of your ability to get knowledge and insights.”

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The bigger picture

The acquisition will enable the organisation to extend its AI capabilities.

US-based Enterprise software company Workday has announced plans to acquire AI platform Sana, in a deal valued at $1.1bn. By acquiring Sana, Workday aims to leverage the company’s AI knowledge and further itself amid a landscape that is focused on AI innovation. 

“Sana’s team, AI-native approach and beautiful design perfectly align with our vision to reimagine the future of work,” said Gerrit Kazmaier, the president for product and technology at Workday. 

He added, “This will make Workday the new front door for work, delivering a proactive, personalised, and intelligent experience that unlocks unmatched AI capabilities for the workplace.”

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Workday will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Sana for approximately $1.1 bn. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year in 2026. 

The acquisition comes amid a time in which organisations across the globe are racing to implement AI technologies to address and even assume the challenges that arise in the workplace.

For example, in the past few months alone French technology services company Capgemini acquired US-based WNS to extend its AI reach. Aryza, a Dublin-based SaaS provider acquired conversational artificial intelligence provider Webio for an undisclosed sum and OpenAI said it was buying Io, an AI start-up founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and several former Apple engineers.

Several governments too have unveiled broad spectrum plans to incorporate artificial intelligence into their national strategies, with a focus on business growth and improving the lives of citizens.  

But significant concerns have been raised about AI’s potential to replace humans in the workforce, as agentic AI tech is further developed and topics of ‘onboarding AI’ become more mainstream. 

Forrester vp and principal analyst Craig Le Clair recently discussed the issue of ‘AI employees’, explaining that AI-led layoffs are not far off and that he would expect job descriptions for an AI agent to be a reality by 2027. 

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