Microsoft, Walmart enter multi-year AI deal to take on Amazon

Walmart and Microsoft have struck a new partnership and they're very clear about why: to take on Amazon. The two companies announced a five-year deal today, one that revolves around Microsoft's artificial intelligence technologies and the ways they can help Walmart retail stores. This follows a recent report claiming that Walmart was considering Microsoft technology that will allow it to launch its own checkout-free grocery stores similar to Amazon Go. The companies announced the new deal today, with Walmart saying that it has selected Microsoft to be its "preferred and strategic cloud provider," specifically mentioning plans to use its various "cloud solutions." There's mention of both artificial intelligence and machine learning, marking an expansion of Microsoft services used by Walmart.