Target Hires Its First-Ever AI Boss to Compete With Walmart

Target, one of America's biggest store chains, has hired its very first "chief AI officer" (a top executive whose job is to lead the company's use of artificial intelligence). This is part of a growing trend where huge retailers are betting big on AI technology.

On Tuesday, Target announced that Chandhu Nair will take the role of chief AI officer and senior vice president. The company also named Purvi Shah as senior vice president of user experience (the person in charge of making shopping smoother and more enjoyable for customers).

Nair used to work at Lowe's, a home improvement chain, where he led stores, data, and AI. He has also worked at Staples and Gap. His goal at Target is a "more coordinated approach" to AI, meaning smarter ways to:

• Manage inventory (the products a store keeps in stock)
• Make business decisions faster and with more confidence
• Bring new ideas to shoppers more quickly

Target has already been experimenting with AI. It built a tool called *Target Trend Brain* that predicts which styles, colors, and materials customers will want next. Last holiday season, it also launched a chat-based AI helper to assist shoppers in finding the right gifts.

Why the rush? Target's rivals are moving fast:

• Walmart is adding AI tools across its stores and supply chains
• Gap partnered with Google's Gemini AI
• Best Buy is working with OpenAI and Google

The stakes are so high that former Walmart CEO Douglas McMillon stepped down in February, saying he wanted a "faster" leader who could better use AI. He believed the next few years of "AI shopping" would change retail dramatically.

In short: Target is trying to win back shoppers and investors by putting AI at the center of its strategy. Hiring a dedicated AI leader shows how seriously major stores now take this technology.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/11/target-appoints-chief-ai-officer-chandhu-nair.html