Pathetic attempt by Walmart to use AI at checkout [View all]

Yesterday I stopped at Walmart to buy some artichokes at the Fairlakes Fairfax store and discovered it was the first day Walmart was using AI at checkout.

Although the individual artichokes each had a tag with a bar code and item number, the scanner insisted the artichokes were broccoli. The checkout clerk tried to assist but every time he scanned the artichokes or put the item number in the register, the screen registered broccoli.

The clerk made a call to a surveillance room and spoke with a supervisor who never heard of artichokes as he did not speak English well. It was finally straightened out after about 10 minutes.

The transaction with the customer next me made me laugh at loud. The young customer would remind you of Spicolli from Fast Times and he was trying to buy a Charleston Chew candy bar. The scanner insisted it was a banana. The young man said something to the effect of "dude, this is bogus" after repeated attempts to buy the candy bar resulted in system identifying as a banana. It goes without saying the supervisor had never heard of Charleston Chew candy bars.

Every transaction was failing and customers waiting were getting frustrated.

Anybody else had this experience?