Grocery shopping could become an outcome-based experience rather than a series of individual transactions, with AI agents handling planning, shopping and fulfillment, The Kroger Co.’s top digital executive said at Groceryshop 2026 in Las Vegas.
Outlining the retailer’s artificial intelligence strategy, Yael Cosset, EVP and chief digital officer, described a future in which customers, instead of building a weekly shopping list, could choose to share their goals and preferences and let AI agents assist with planning and completing their shopping. Kroger’s advantage in that future, Cosset argued, is the same as today: deep knowledge of customer shopping patterns and visibility into product availability and fulfillment.
That vision sits atop a strategy built on decades of customer insights, operational data and a portfolio of proprietary models, supported by privacy, security and responsible AI governance processes designed to ensure appropriate data use and human oversight.
“This isn’t new for Kroger,” Cosset said. “We’ve long been using data science and artificial intelligence to serve our customers by precisely forecasting demand, connecting customers with the most relevant savings opportunities and helping them find and get the products they need. Our latest investments in AI allow us to connect relevant business and operational signals to make decisions and take action faster.”
Assisted, augmented, autonomous
Kroger’s data foundation draws on its longstanding loyalty program and years of customer and operational insights, with proprietary models spanning demand forecasting, operational optimization, personalization and generative AI. The company pairs those with third-party frontier models and shared infrastructure, including data, services, agentic capabilities and governance guardrails.
Cosset described the retailer’s AI journey in three stages: assisted, augmented and autonomous. “The goal is not autonomy everywhere,” he said. “The goal is using the right level of AI based on risk, repeatability and the need for human judgement. Different cases will sit at different stages, and strong governance remains at the center.”
Customer tools and associate training
Kroger’s AI Shopping Assistant, which rolled out to all banners this summer, helps customers plan meals, find recipes and build carts around budgets, dietary needs and preferences, while conversational search helps shoppers discover relevant products. The company also is developing agents for frontline teams that cut through dozens of daily notifications to surface only the most important information, and is making AI literacy training available to more than 400,000 associates.
“It’s about more than simply granting access,” Cosset said. “Teams need the skills and discernment to use AI responsibly, understanding where it is useful and redesign work around this new capability. At our core, the human connection to a customer or fellow associate will never be replaced by AI. Instead, AI will give our associates more time and insight to create that connection.”
Kroger serves more than 11 million customers daily through e-commerce and retail food stores under a variety of banners, with more than 400,000 associates.
Related: Kroger Launches AI Shopping Assistant Across All Banners