Levittown, New York – The budget retailer uses artificial intelligence (AI) to manage its inventory rather than facilitate a grab-and-go customer experience. Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab – or IRL – store uses 1,500 cameras and a team of 100 store associates to ensure stock is constantly refreshed. It also uses various shelf sensors, which measure weight to count the remaining products on shelves. When stock runs low, associates are notified of what's needed and where via their smartphone. This hardware is connected by 150,000 feet of cabling, which sits behind transparent glass in full view of customers. Although the store is technically a trial lab, its findings will be applied across Walmart's existing 4,800 US stores. Rather than rolling out a staff-less, futuristic concept echoing the likes of Amazon Go, Walmart is beginning its foray into Grocery AI-sles with technology that offers real, practical solutions.