Walmart teams up with OpenAI to launch ChatGPT-powered shopping feature

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Walmart announced a new partnership with OpenAI on Tuesday, enabling customers and Sam’s Club members to shop directly through ChatGPT using the platform’s Instant Checkout feature. The move marks the retail giant’s latest step toward integrating artificial intelligence into its e-commerce operations.

Following the news, Walmart shares rose 5% to $107.21, reflecting investor optimism about the company’s expanding digital strategy. The collaboration allows users to browse and purchase Walmart products directly within ChatGPT, using conversational prompts to find items and complete transactions seamlessly.

The world’s largest retailer has been steadily expanding its AI efforts, rolling out Sparky, a generative AI assistant within its mobile app that helps users discover products, summarize reviews, and find personalized suggestions.

The tie-up with OpenAI aligns Walmart more closely with rivals like Amazon, which earlier launched its own AI shopping assistant Rufus, designed to streamline online searches and product recommendations.

The partnership follows OpenAI’s recent collaborations with Etsy and Shopify, as ChatGPT becomes increasingly integrated into online retail ecosystems. According to SimilarWeb, ChatGPT referrals accounted for 15% of Walmart’s referral traffic in September, up from 9.5% in August, although they still make up less than 1% of overall web traffic.

Walmart said the initiative reflects its broader commitment to using generative AI to improve customer experience and simplify the shopping journey both online and in stores.

Meta introduces PG-13-style filters on Instagram to protect teen users

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Meta Platforms has unveiled new PG-13-style content filters on Instagram, limiting what users under 18 can see as part of a broader effort to strengthen teen safety online. The update, modeled after the Motion Picture Association’s movie ratings, will automatically restrict access to posts featuring strong language, risky stunts, drug references, or other mature content, Meta said on Tuesday.

The new rules also extend to Meta’s generative AI tools, which will now be subject to similar content guidelines. Teen accounts will be automatically placed under PG-13 settings, though parents can apply stricter limits and adjust screen-time controls using a “limited content” mode.

The move comes amid growing criticism and legal scrutiny over Meta’s handling of youth safety. The company faces hundreds of lawsuits from parents and school districts accusing it of enabling addictive behavior and exposing minors to harmful material.

A Reuters investigation earlier revealed that some of Meta’s existing safety measures were ineffective or inconsistent, while advocacy groups accused Instagram of failing to protect teens from psychological harm.

“We hope this update reassures parents,” Meta said in a blog post. “We know teens may try to avoid these restrictions, which is why we’ll use age prediction technology to ensure appropriate protections even when users misreport their age.”

The new safeguards will roll out in the U.S., UK, Australia, and Canada by year-end and will later expand globally. Meta said similar protections will soon be added to Facebook as regulators tighten oversight of social media and AI systems interacting with minors.

Bitcoin, ether slide as U.S.-China tensions reignite, wiping out earlier gains

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Bitcoin and ether fell sharply on Tuesday as rising U.S.-China trade tensions erased the previous day’s rebound, underscoring the crypto market’s fragility following last week’s record liquidation event.

Bitcoin dropped as low as $110,023.78 before recovering slightly to $113,129, down 2.3%, while ether slid 3.7% to $4,128.47 after hitting an intraday low of $3,900.80. The world’s largest cryptocurrency has fallen more than 12% since reaching a record $126,000 on October 6.

The renewed decline came as both the U.S. and China imposed new port fees on ocean shipping companies, escalating their trade dispute and disrupting global supply chains. Analysts said the move transformed maritime trade into a new battleground in the ongoing economic conflict between the world’s two biggest economies.

Altcoins bore the brunt of the sell-off, with some tokens plunging as much as 80% on certain exchanges. Analysts said automated liquidations on leveraged platforms further amplified volatility as margin calls forced traders to unwind positions.

“As long as U.S.-China relations remain tense and equities are heavily concentrated in tech, crypto will struggle,” said Juan Perez, director of trading at Monex USA. “When fundamentals weaken, bitcoin and ether lose their footing because their value depends on broader investor confidence.”

The slump follows last Friday’s $19 billion crypto liquidation, the largest in market history, which was triggered by Trump’s 100% tariff threat on Chinese imports and Beijing’s retaliatory rare earth export restrictions.