Walmart expands AI-powered self‑checkout surveillance in US stores

Walmart is rolling out an artificial‑intelligence system to its self‑checkout lanes that monitors customers' hand movements with concealed cameras. Developed by Irish firm Everseen and in use since 2017, the technology compares the motion of items with scanner data and can lock a transaction within seconds if an item is suspected of being placed in a bag without being scanned. When a potential “missed scan” is detected, a handheld device alerts nearby staff, shows a live video feed of the checkout and lists the items scanned.

The company plans to have the system operating in roughly half of its U.S. stores by the end of 2026. Walmart combines the AI solution with other anti‑theft measures such as public security monitors, parking‑lot license‑plate readers, color‑coded tags, locked display cases and RFID tracking. The checkout screen displays the message “Mitarbeiter ist unterwegs” (“Employee is on the way”) while an employee investigates.

The deployment reflects a broader trend of retailers using advanced surveillance to curb shrinkage while raising new privacy considerations for shoppers.