Ask A Genius 1389: James Comey Tweet Backlash, Walmart–OpenAI Partnership, and the Rising Trade-Off of AI Agency
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/05/27
Rick Rosner is an accomplished television writer with credits on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Crank Yankers, and The Man Show. Over his career, he has earned multiple Writers Guild Award nominations—winning one—and an Emmy nomination. Rosner holds a broad academic background, graduating with the equivalent of eight majors. Based in Los Angeles, he continues to write and develop ideas while spending time with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.
Rick Rosner critiques political manipulation surrounding James Comey’s “86 47” tweet, debunking claims of incitement. Meanwhile, Walmart teams up with OpenAI’s Operator model to create AI-powered shopping assistants. Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Rosner explore the societal shift toward algorithmic decision-making, raising concerns about convenience, agency, and declining cognitive engagement.
Rick Rosner: Another important point: many Americans seem to have become desensitized to political manipulation. They either accept or pretend to accept whatever narrative is circulated to justify misleading or harmful actions by figures like Trump, Ann Coulter, or Laura Ingraham. Today alone, I’ve blocked dozens of individuals—well, I actually mute them on Twitter—who are pushing the claim that James Comey should be prosecuted for allegedly threatening to kill Trump by tweeting “86 47.” The claim is absurd. Comey clearly intended “86” in the common sense of rejecting or removing, not in the obscure usage that implies assassination.
Half the people pushing this narrative do not even believe it themselves; they promote it as part of a larger game or culture war. The other half believe whatever misleading rhetoric is fed to them. It is a disheartening state of affairs, especially considering that Trump and the Republican Party consistently act in ways that do not reflect the best interests of the American public.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: On a separate topic—there is news that Walmart is partnering with OpenAI to integrate its most advanced AI models, known as “frontier models,” into its retail platform. These models will function as AI-powered shopping agents capable of autonomously searching for, selecting, and purchasing products based on user preferences.
Rick Rosner: So, to clarify: a user could open Walmart’s app—powered by OpenAI’s Operator model—and input something like, “I need items for a summer party.” ChatGPT, acting through the app, would then generate a curated list of suggestions available at Walmart?
Jacobsen: The vision is that Walmart will use OpenAI’s Operator—its most capable generative AI system—as the core, and then build proprietary applications on top of it. The app would offer tailored services, such as recommending and purchasing groceries or other goods. Over time, the AI would learn from user behavior to refine those recommendations.
Rosner: But would the AI simply go ahead and purchase items without user approval? Surely there’s a step for user consent?
Jacobsen: Yes, the app would require user permission to complete transactions. You would need to link your financial information and agree to specific terms. In most cases, the system would confirm selections with you before purchase. However, if configured to do so—say, for recurring grocery orders—it could eventually act autonomously within the parameters you set.
Rosner: So if I said, “I need groceries for the week,” and provided my preferences, the AI—through the Walmart app—could independently source and order those products?
Jacobsen: The OpenAI Operator provides the intelligent foundation, and Walmart builds a retail-specific layer on top. With repeated use, the system would continuously adjust to your habits and preferences, improving its accuracy and convenience over time.
But it’s inevitable that the AI is going to buy things you do not like—at least at first. For example, you might tell it to get cheddar, and it selects a brand that’s far too sharp for your taste. There’s also the possibility of input errors or misunderstandings that lead to some hilariously inaccurate purchases.
Rosner: So, especially in the early stages, the system will need to check in with users regularly. It will ask: “Are you okay with this? Should I go ahead and buy it?” But I suspect that, as we become more accustomed to this kind of technology—and perhaps lazier—we’ll start replying, “Yeah, whatever. I trust you.” The problem is, that trust has not yet been earned.
Jacobsen: But it will learn and adapt. We talked about this in a previous session—the emergence of “AI natives,” building on the concept of “digital natives.” For example, Isabella’s generation and the one after it will grow up in a world where this kind of interaction is completely normal. They will not find it strange at all.
This is just the beginning of a larger trend we’re likely to see repeating itself over and over. A new AI-powered feature gets released. People initially insist they will not cede agency—they’ll remain the captain of the ship, letting AI offer suggestions but not take action. But soon enough, many will start allowing the AI to make decisions for them.
Rosner: And once that pattern becomes habitual, we risk gradually surrendering important aspects of personal agency. It affects practical life skills. For example, I rarely do the grocery shopping myself anymore—Carol handles that.
Jacobsen: My friend’s dad used to say he was going out for “foodstuffs.” He disliked the word “groceries”—thought it sounded expensive.
Rosner: When I do go to the supermarket, unless I have an extremely specific list, assembling a coherent set of groceries can feel daunting. It used to take me a long time, and in some ways, I had surrendered that part of everyday agency. That was especially true when I was juggling multiple jobs and running on empty. I remember ending up at the 24-hour King Soopers in Boulder at 2 a.m., just wandering the aisles, totally unsure of what I needed.
So yeah, there’s a wider implication. Studies suggest average cognitive performance is declining—and offloading more of our decision-making to AI is unlikely to help. On the other hand, intelligent use of AI can help high-functioning individuals save time and mental energy for more meaningful or demanding tasks. It’s a trade-off—what some might call a deal with the devil.
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