Australia’s largest supermarket chain Woolworths is upgrading its popular “Everyday” chatbot into a more advanced agentic AI loyalty assistant. The move signals accelerating adoption of sophisticated artificial intelligence tools by major Australian retailers.
The company said it is rebuilding the chatbot following an AI-powered upgrade of its existing Olive system. The new version is expected to offer more proactive, personalized customer interactions and deeper integration with Woolworths’ loyalty program.
Agentic AI refers to systems that can take autonomous actions, make decisions, and complete complex tasks rather than simply responding to queries. Industry analysts say this represents a significant step beyond basic chatbots.
Woolworths is one of several major Australian companies investing heavily in AI to improve customer experience and operational efficiency. The retailer joins Bunnings and other firms experimenting with agentic systems for both consumer and commercial customers.
The development comes as Australian businesses navigate the rapid evolution of AI technology while the federal government advances its National AI Plan aimed at positioning the country as a leader in responsible AI adoption.
Woolworths did not disclose a specific launch timeline for the upgraded assistant.
What it means for Australia
Woolworths’ move to build a more advanced agentic AI loyalty assistant highlights how quickly large Australian companies are moving from experimentation to real-world deployment of sophisticated AI tools.
This is positive news for Australia’s tech ecosystem. Such projects can create high-skilled jobs in AI engineering, data science, and digital transformation.
However, it also raises important questions about data privacy, customer consent, and the pace of job changes in retail. As more companies deploy agentic AI, the pressure will grow on the government and regulators to keep up with clear guidelines around ethical use and workforce support.
Overall, this is exactly the kind of , customer-facing AI innovation the National AI Plan hopes to encourage. If more major Australian brands follow Woolworths’ lead, it could help strengthen the country’s position in the global AI economy while delivering tangible benefits to everyday consumers.
