Verified
The Home Depot
Experimenting- Retail
- 472,400 associates
- No AI return reported
- Hundreds of AI applications, no user count
- Magic Apron in 2,000+ U.S. stores
The Home Depot runs hundreds of AI applications across stores, website, supply chain and Pro, led by Magic Apron, a generative AI assistant fielding millions of questions a month and in every U.S. store since Aug 2026. The Home Depot builds its own tools and uses Google Cloud's Gemini for agents and Anthropic's Claude for coding, with CTO Fran Bell owning AI since Apr 2026. The Home Depot credits Magic Apron with higher conversion and sales but reports no figure for AI's return, nor how many associates use AI.
corporate.homedepot.comTheir approach to AI
- The platform
- The Home Depot builds its own AI products, including the Magic Apron assistant, the Sidekick store app and AI tools for Pro takeoffs and material lists, and buys Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise for customer service agents and thousands of associates (Jan 2026) and Microsoft Copilot for office workers (Jun 2026).
- The models
- The Home Depot names Google's Gemini models and Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience behind its agents (Jan 2026), Anthropic's Claude for software development (Jun 2026) and Claude Mythos Preview for code security (Oct 2026); it has not named the models behind Magic Apron's first version (Oct 2024).
- The reach
- Magic Apron fields millions of customer questions a month and is available in all 2,000+ U.S. stores (Aug 2026), but The Home Depot has not said how many of its 472,400 associates use AI tools at work.
- The catch
- The Home Depot credits Magic Apron and AI search with higher online conversion and sales but has published no figure for what AI costs or returns, for any single use case or for the company as a whole (Mar 2026).
Snapshot
- Employees
- ~472,400
- End of fiscal 2025, about 422,500 in the U.S. (Form 10-K, Mar 2026)
- Technology budget
- Not disclosed
- Capex of $3.7B in fiscal 2025 and about $4B (about 2.5% of sales) planned for 2026, with a step-up in technology (Dec 2025)
- AI/ML headcount
- Not disclosed
- No count of data scientists or AI engineers published
- Who owns AI
- Fran Bell, EVP and CTO
- Since Apr 6, 2026, reporting to the CEO; leads technology, product management, data, AI and user experience
- Platform
- Magic Apron, built in-house
- Proprietary generative AI suite released in Oct 2024; Gemini Enterprise shopping agent added Jan 2026
- Models
- Google Gemini; Anthropic Claude
- Gemini Enterprise and Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience (Jan 2026); Claude for coding (Jun 2026)
- Reach
- Millions of questions a month
- Magic Apron, Aug 2026; no employee usage count published
- Use cases
- Hundreds of AI applications
- Dec 2025, across online, marketing, finance, HR, stores, merchandising, supply chain and Pro
Key findings
The Home Depot has published no dollar figure for what AI costs or returns, for any use case or overall, and no count of associates using AI; Ted Decker's Mar 2026 letter credits Magic Apron with higher conversion and sales, and CFO Richard McPhail said in Dec 2025 that AI in stores had delivered large productivity gains, much of them reinvested, both without a number.
Ted Decker told investors on Dec 9, 2025 that The Home Depot has hundreds of AI applications in use, from stores and digital channels to marketing and the supply chain, and that Magic Apron and AI-driven search significantly lifted online conversion.
The Home Depot named Fran Bell, formerly Ford's chief data, AI and analytics officer, EVP and CTO from Apr 6, 2026, reporting to Ted Decker and combining AI, data science, product management, user experience and technology in one organization, and on Jul 30, 2026 moved its store, supply chain and Pro product technology teams under her.
Magic Apron, The Home Depot's proprietary generative AI assistant first released online in Oct 2024, fields millions of questions a month and became available in all 2,000+ U.S. stores on Aug 27, 2026 with store maps, aisle and bay locations and local inventory.
The Home Depot runs its agents on Google Cloud's Gemini, expanded on Jan 11, 2026 with a Gemini Enterprise shopping agent in Magic Apron, route intelligence, customer service agents and Gemini Enterprise for thousands of associates; Fortune reported in Jun 2026 that Anthropic's Claude speeds up its software development, and CIO Angie Brown said on Oct 28, 2026 that The Home Depot has joined Anthropic's Project Glasswing.
Where Home Depot sits
- Stage
- Experimenting
The Home Depot has reported no business return it credits to AI, for any use case or for the company as a whole: Ted Decker's Mar 2026 letter says Magic Apron is translating into higher conversion and sales, and Jordan Broggi said in Dec 2025 that generative AI chat had tripled customer self-service at a lower cost, but neither gave a figure, and the billions of dollars in productivity Richard McPhail targets over the next few years are a goal credited to automation and AI together. The Home Depot has not reported a company-wide AI rollout with a user count either: it gave thousands of associates Gemini Enterprise (Jan 2026) and puts Sidekick and Magic Apron in U.S. stores, but has not said how many of its 472,400 associates use AI tools, although EVP and CTO Fran Bell, who reports to the CEO, has owned technology, data and AI since Apr 2026. The Home Depot is therefore at Experimenting despite hundreds of AI applications in use; one return it credits to AI, such as a sales figure for Magic Apron, or a stated count of associates using its AI tools would move it to Piloting.
How the stages are defined - Ownership
- EVP and CTO Fran Bell (since Apr 2026, reporting to the CEO), alongside EVP and CIO Angie Brown
- Platform
- Hybrid: Magic Apron and store apps built in-house; Gemini Enterprise and Copilot bought
- Models
- Google Gemini through Gemini Enterprise; Anthropic Claude for coding and code security
- Hosting
- Google Cloud (Gemini, Gemini Enterprise, Vertex AI, BigQuery); Microsoft for Copilot and truck routing; where Claude and Magic Apron run is not disclosed
- Reach
- Millions of Magic Apron questions a month (Aug 2026)
How they deploy
Technology under every initiative
Ted Decker said in Dec 2025 that technology underpins nearly every initiative and investment at The Home Depot, which increasingly uses data science, machine learning models and generative AI, with hundreds of AI applications aimed at growth, customer experience, and productivity and efficiency. Decker's Mar 2026 annual letter lists search, recommendations, compatibility, cart building, catalog data, sourcing logic, delivery route intelligence and post-purchase support as the areas of digital investment.
Build the products, buy the models
The Home Depot writes most of its own code, its careers site says, and describes Magic Apron as a suite of proprietary generative AI products and Sidekick as a homegrown app. For the models and agent platform underneath, The Home Depot expanded its Google Cloud partnership in Jan 2026, building on Gemini models, Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience and Google Maps Platform. Fortune reported in Jun 2026 that The Home Depot uses Anthropic's Claude coding system to speed up software development and has made Microsoft Copilot available to office workers.
One technology organization for AI
The Home Depot hired Fran Bell as EVP and CTO in Apr 2026 to drive the enterprise-wide integration of agentic AI and machine learning, said her organization combines AI, data science, product management, user experience and technology, and told CIO Dive that Bell reports to Ted Decker. A Jul 30, 2026 realignment moved the store, supply chain and Pro product technology teams into Bell's organization so The Home Depot can bring new technology to market faster. Fortune reported in Jun 2026 that CIO Angie Brown oversees technology strategy, infrastructure, cybersecurity and software development while Bell steers product management, data and AI.
Associates at the center
Jordan Broggi said in Aug 2026 that The Home Depot's associates remain at the center of the shopping experience and that Magic Apron gives customers another way to get guidance in stores. The Home Depot presents its AI phone agents as a way to let store associates focus on the most complex customer needs (Jan and Apr 2026), and Ann-Marie Campbell said in Dec 2025 that machine learning and AI efficiencies let a specialist merchandising team absorb store tasks so floor associates can spend more time with customers.
Selling through outside AI assistants
Jordan Broggi said in Dec 2025 that The Home Depot is extending its catalog to agentic shopping platforms to meet customers where they are. The Home Depot's catalog can be browsed in ChatGPT (Mar 2026), The Home Depot supports Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (Fortune, Jun 2026), and CIO Angie Brown said in Oct 2026 that The Home Depot will support shopping agents that identify themselves and the customer they act for, and is in talks with Meta about how its Muse agent should do so. The Home Depot's fiscal 2025 Form 10-K warns that generative and agentic AI tools may dramatically change how customers shop.
- Deployment model
- The Home Depot runs AI from a central technology organization with delivery owned by business leaders. EVP and CTO Fran Bell, who reports to Ted Decker, leads technology, product management, data, AI and user experience, and since Jul 2026 also the store, supply chain and Pro product technology teams; EVP and CIO Angie Brown is responsible for technology strategy, software development, cybersecurity and infrastructure, and the CISO reports to her. Business leaders own the customer-facing tools: Jordan Broggi's interconnected retail organization runs Magic Apron, the website and app and customer service, with SVP and President of Online Rebecca Godecke responsible for customer-facing AI experiences on homedepot.com; Mike Rowe's Pro business runs Blueprint Takeoffs and Material List Builder AI; and Ann-Marie Campbell's store operations use Sidekick and computer vision. SVP of Technology Ningyu Chen leads technology for online, marketing and customer experience with a focus on AI-first products, and SVP of Technology Deepak Arora leads technology for merchandising, inventory, supply chain, stores, services, Pro, HR and finance.
- Model providers
- The Home Depot names Google as its main AI model provider: the Jan 2026 expansion of its Google Cloud partnership put Gemini models, Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience (including its Shopping agent inside Magic Apron), Gemini Enterprise for corporate staff and Google Maps Platform behind its agentic tools, and the store phone agents launched in Apr 2026 run on Gemini conversational audio models. The Home Depot also uses Anthropic: Claude speeds up its software development (Fortune, Jun 2026), and through Anthropic's Project Glasswing The Home Depot has access to Claude Mythos Preview to find flaws in its code (Business Insider, Oct 2026). The Home Depot has made Microsoft Copilot available to office workers (Fortune, Jun 2026) and works with Google and Microsoft on AI that optimizes truck routes and loads (Mar 2026). The Home Depot describes Magic Apron as proprietary, built on its own home improvement knowledge base, and has not named the models behind its first version (Oct 2024); its catalog can be browsed in OpenAI's ChatGPT.
- Data and infrastructure
- The Home Depot has been a Google Cloud customer since 2016, according to Google Cloud. An undated Google Cloud case study says The Home Depot moved its enterprise data warehouse from a 450-terabyte on-premises system to BigQuery, which holds more than 15 petabytes, and runs more than 600 projects on Google Cloud; a Dec 2021 Google Cloud post describes six SAP landscapes moved from The Home Depot's own data center, and an Apr 2024 extension of the relationship added Vertex AI for inventory and supply chain work. Magic Apron draws on a proprietary knowledge base, details on millions of products and, in stores, real-time local inventory and bay locations (Aug 2026). Store associates reach AI tools through hdPhones, Zebra devices of which The Home Depot had rolled out more than 99,000 by Jan 2023. The Home Depot's fiscal 2025 Form 10-K lists migrating applications to the cloud among its technology investments and does not say where its own AI models run.
Platforms and internal tools
Magic ApronOct 2024
Magic Apron is The Home Depot's suite of proprietary generative AI tools for customers and associates: it answers product and project questions, summarizes reviews, recommends tools and materials and starts building project carts, on homedepot.com, in the app and, since Aug 2026, in every U.S. store through Store Mode or a QR code, with store maps, bay locations and local inventory. The Home Depot added the Shopping agent from Google's Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience in Jan 2026, and an Outdoor Assistant answers plant questions from a photo (Mar 2026). Fortune reported in Jun 2026 that The Home Depot took the Pro version of Magic Apron offline to fine-tune its models after it asked Pros overly simple questions, and that bringing Magic Apron to associates' phones was in its early stages. The Home Depot dates the first release to Oct 2024, while Retail Dive and Fortune date the debut to Mar 2025, when The Home Depot announced an expansion.
- Users
- Millions of questions a month (Aug 2026)
- Models
- Proprietary knowledge base; Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience Shopping agent (Jan 2026)
SidekickJan 2023
Sidekick is a homegrown app on store associates' hdPhones that uses a cloud machine learning algorithm and machine vision to direct associates to bays where product is low or out of stock, find excess product in overhead storage and rank tasks by value. The Home Depot had installed Sidekick in more than 600 stores in Jan 2023 with a plan to reach all U.S. stores, and its fiscal 2025 Form 10-K says U.S. store associates use it.
- Users
- U.S. store associates on hdPhones
Gemini Enterprise for associatesJan 2026
The Home Depot gave thousands of associates Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise, an agentic platform; at the Store Support Center, its specialized agents predict project bottlenecks, draft marketing copy and audit digital designs.
- Users
- Thousands of associates (Jan 2026)
- Models
- Google Gemini
Conversational customer service and store phone agentsBy Dec 2025
The Home Depot replaced its menu-driven chat and SMS bots with generative AI built on Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, live across SMS, chat and phone by Jan 2026, and in Apr 2026 began rolling out AI voice agents that answer calls to U.S. stores, check order status and availability, start service requests and build carts, with a path to a human associate on every call.
- Models
- Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience; Gemini conversational audio models
Pro digital workspaceMar 2026
The Home Depot's Pro workspace, expanded in Mar 2026, brings together the Project Planning tool launched in Sep 2025, Material List Builder AI, which turns a project description, voice note or pasted list into a grouped materials list, and real-time delivery tracking, free to Pro Xtra members. Blueprint Takeoffs, run by The Home Depot's Pro team, turns single-family blueprints into a materials list and quote.
Ship from best location and Order Intelligence
Ship from best location is The Home Depot's proprietary algorithm that uses machine learning to route each online order to the fulfillment point that best balances speed, cost and capacity. Order Intelligence, live in more than a dozen facilities in Mar 2026, uses AI to spot likely delivery misses before they reach the customer.
Vendors and partners
Google Cloud2016
Cloud, BigQuery data warehouse, Vertex AI, Gemini models, Gemini Enterprise and Google Maps Platform · The Home Depot extended its Google Cloud relationship in Apr 2024 to use Vertex AI for inventory and supply chain work, and the two announced an expanded strategic partnership at NRF on Jan 11, 2026, covering Magic Apron, Pro material lists, route intelligence, customer service and Gemini Enterprise for corporate staff.
AnthropicBy Jun 2026
Claude for software development; Claude Mythos Preview for code security through Project Glasswing · Fortune reported in Jun 2026 that Claude speeds up The Home Depot's software development, and CIO Angie Brown said in Oct 2026 that The Home Depot joined Project Glasswing after missing its first wave.
Microsoft
Copilot for office workers; AI for truck route and load optimization · The Home Depot said in Mar 2026 that it partners with Google and Microsoft to optimize truck routes and loads with AI, and Fortune reported in Jun 2026 that Microsoft Copilot is available to its office workers.
OpenAIBy Mar 2026
ChatGPT product discovery for The Home Depot's catalog · The Home Depot said in Mar 2026 that customers can browse its catalog in ChatGPT, refine results conversationally and compare products side by side.
Zebra Technologies
hdPhone handheld devices that carry Sidekick and associate AI tools · The Home Depot had rolled out more than 99,000 hdPhones, built with Zebra, HPE and Aruba, by Jan 2023.
SIMPL AutomationApr 2026
Acquired distribution center automation company that uses AI · The Home Depot acquired SIMPL, based in Waltham, Mass., on Apr 15, 2026 after a pilot at its Locust Grove, Ga. distribution center.
Leadership
AI, data and platform leaders
Executives
Board
AI org map
Central technology, data and AI organization under the CTO; business leaders own the customer-facing AI products
The Home Depot named Fran Bell EVP and CTO from Apr 6, 2026, reporting to Ted Decker and combining AI, data science, product management, user experience and technology into one organization, and on Jul 30, 2026 moved the store, supply chain and Pro product technology teams into it. EVP and CIO Angie Brown, in the role since May 2025, keeps technology strategy, software development, cybersecurity and infrastructure. Both sit on The Home Depot's Executive Leadership Team under Ted Decker, who has been on medical leave since Aug 12, 2026, with Ann-Marie Campbell overseeing day-to-day operations and Richard McPhail overseeing financial management and the Pro subsidiaries.
The Home Depot has not published the size of its technology, data or AI workforce. The Home Depot's AI work sits in Fran Bell's technology organization, which combines AI, data science, product management, user experience and technology and since Jul 2026 includes the store, supply chain and Pro product technology teams; in Angie Brown's CIO organization for infrastructure, software development and cybersecurity; and in business teams that own customer-facing tools. The Home Depot cut about 800 Store Support Center roles in Jan 2026, primarily in its technology organization, according to Retail Dive. The Home Depot's careers site lists data science, product management, user experience, cybersecurity and infrastructure among its technology functions and says associates write most of its code.
Reporting lines
Technology, data and AI
Fran Bell, EVP and CTO
AI, data science, product management, user experience and technology, plus store, supply chain and Pro product technology from Jul 2026; a spokesperson confirmed the line to the CEO to CIO Dive (Apr 2026)
Information technology
Angie Brown, EVP and CIO
Technology strategy, software development, cybersecurity and infrastructure; the line to the CEO is inferred, not published
Cybersecurity
Chief Information Security Officer
The Form 10-K says the CISO, who joined in 2021, reports to the CIO
Store operations
Ann-Marie Campbell, Senior EVP
Uses Sidekick and computer vision; oversees day-to-day operations during the CEO's leave
Interconnected Retail
Jordan Broggi, EVP
Customer experience, online, financial services and loyalty, combined in Jul 2026; runs Magic Apron and the customer service agents
Pro
Mike Rowe, EVP
Blueprint Takeoffs, Material List Builder AI and the Pro digital workspace
Supply chain and product development
John Deaton, EVP
Logistics, distribution, delivery, transportation and inventory management
Office of Pro Acceleration
Richard McPhail, EVP and CFO
Coordinates Home Depot Pro, HD Supply, SRS and Construction Resources, including a shared CRM and product catalog (Jul 2026)
Online, marketing and customer experience technology
Ningyu Chen, SVP Technology
Reporting line not published
Core retail technology
Deepak Arora, SVP Technology
Merchandising, inventory and replenishment, supply chain, stores, services, Pro, HR and finance technology; reporting line not published
Online
Rebecca Godecke, SVP and President, Online
homedepot.com, including customer-facing AI experiences; reporting line not published
Data Security and Privacy Governance Committee
Chaired by the VP of Internal Audit and Corporate Compliance
Management committee, with the CEO as a member, that oversees risks from the responsible use of AI and reports to the Board or the Audit Committee
The Home Depot does not publish an org chart. A spokesperson told CIO Dive in Apr 2026 that Fran Bell reports to Ted Decker; the other lines to the CEO are inferred from the Executive Leadership Team list. Fortune reported in Jun 2026 that Angie Brown oversees technology strategy, infrastructure, cybersecurity and software development while Bell steers product management, data and AI. The fiscal 2025 Form 10-K says the CISO reports to the CIO. The reporting lines of Ningyu Chen, Deepak Arora and Rebecca Godecke are not published.
Named people
Use cases
The Home Depot said in Dec 2025 that it has hundreds of AI applications in use and in Mar 2026 listed more than a dozen AI-powered capabilities, led by the Magic Apron assistant, AI search, conversational customer service and Pro tools for blueprint takeoffs and material lists, alongside systems for order routing, delivery risk, shelf availability, software development and code security. The Home Depot has published no business-level return for any single AI use case. For AI as a whole, The Home Depot reports no dollar figure; Ted Decker's Mar 2026 letter says Magic Apron is translating into higher conversion and sales.
| Use case | Area | Status | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magic Apron assistant Magic Apron answers product and project questions, summarizes reviews, recommends materials and starts building carts on homedepot.com and in the app, and since Jan 2026 includes a Gemini Enterprise shopping agent for plain-language project advice; Fortune reported in Jun 2026 that the Pro version had been taken offline for fine-tuning. | Online and app | In production | |
| Magic Apron in stores The in-store version of Magic Apron, reached through Store Mode or a QR code, gives customers and associates store maps, aisle and bay locations, local and nearby inventory, and answers by text, voice or photo in several languages, in all 2,000+ U.S. stores since Aug 2026. | Stores | In production | |
| AI search and recommendations The Home Depot uses large language models in search and recommendations to read customer intent and suggest compatible products, which Jordan Broggi said improved search and recommendation conversion rates (Dec 2025). | Online and app | In production | |
| Catalog enrichment Since 2023 The Home Depot has used generative AI, its first use case for the technology, to add catalog attributes and images that were previously too costly or cumbersome to create. | Online and app | In production | |
| Conversational chat and SMS The Home Depot replaced deterministic chat and SMS bots with generative AI, built on Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, that handles return policy questions, price adjustments and delivery status in plain language; Jordan Broggi said in Dec 2025 that customers' ability to serve themselves had tripled, at a lower cost he did not quantify. | Customer service | In production | |
| AI voice agents for store calls AI phone agents on Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience answer calls to U.S. stores, identify the reason for the call, check orders and stock, start service requests and build carts; after a 50-store pilot, The Home Depot said in Apr 2026 it plans to reach all U.S. stores over the coming year. | Customer service | Pilot | |
| Catalog in outside AI assistants Customers can browse and compare The Home Depot's catalog in ChatGPT (Mar 2026), and The Home Depot said in Jan 2026 it would join agentic shopping in AI Mode in Google Search and the Gemini app. | Online and app | In production | |
| Blueprint Takeoffs The Home Depot's Pro team uses an AI tool to turn single-family blueprints into a complete materials list and quote in days instead of weeks, or about a day instead of a week or more, as Mike Rowe put it in Dec 2025. | Pro | In production | |
| Material List Builder AI Material List Builder AI turns a Pro's written or spoken project description, or a pasted list, into a grouped draft materials list with preferred pricing and inventory, which the Pro edits before ordering; it launched in beta in Nov 2025 and nationally in Jan 2026. | Pro | In production | |
| Pro sales CRM The Home Depot's Pro sales force and store associates use a customer relationship management platform with AI and machine learning that gives a full view of each Pro, their projects and upcoming opportunities (Dec 2025). | Pro | In production | |
| Sidekick and computer vision for shelf availability Sidekick uses machine learning and machine vision to direct associates to empty or low shelves and overhead stock; Ann-Marie Campbell credited it, with computer vision and an overhead management tool, for on-shelf availability up 140 basis points since 2023 (Dec 2025). | Stores | In production | |
| Generative AI knowledge tools for associates Store associates use generative AI tools on their hdPhones, drawing on internal data and The Home Depot's knowledge base, for quick answers on operations and products (introduced May 2025). | Stores | In production | |
| Ship from best location Machine learning models route each online order to the store or distribution facility that best balances speed, reliability, cost and capacity, which The Home Depot credits for the fastest delivery speeds in its history. | Supply chain | In production | |
| Order Intelligence and route intelligence Order Intelligence uses AI to spot delivery misses before they happen in more than a dozen facilities (Mar 2026), and route intelligence built with Gemini and Google Maps Platform flags site access problems such as narrow streets or gates (Jan 2026). | Supply chain | In production | |
| Distribution center automation SIMPL Automation, which uses AI and a patented storage and retrieval system, ran a pilot at The Home Depot's Locust Grove, Ga. distribution center that sped up picking and cut product touches, before The Home Depot bought SIMPL in Apr 2026. | Supply chain | Pilot | |
| Assortment and space planning Billy Bastek said in Dec 2025 that The Home Depot uses prescriptive analytics and integrated AI tools to match assortments to stores and make inventory and space changes with fewer errors. | Merchandising | In production | |
| Gemini Enterprise and Copilot for corporate staff Thousands of associates have Gemini Enterprise, whose agents at the Store Support Center predict project bottlenecks, draft marketing copy and audit digital designs (Jan 2026), and Microsoft Copilot has been made available to office workers (Fortune, Jun 2026). | Store Support Center | In production | |
| AI-assisted software development Anthropic's Claude coding system is helping The Home Depot's engineers speed up software development, Fortune reported in Jun 2026. | Technology | In production | |
| AI code security review Through Anthropic's Project Glasswing, Claude Mythos Preview found flaws for The Home Depot to fix in its code, along with some false positives, CIO Angie Brown said in Oct 2026; Brown said the time to fix a vulnerability has to come down to hours. | Technology | Pilot |
Adoption
The Home Depot spread AI in layers: machine learning in search, recommendations and order routing for years, the Sidekick app with machine vision on store associates' hdPhones from 2023, generative AI for catalog data in 2023, Magic Apron for online customers from Oct 2024, generative AI knowledge tools for store associates from May 2025, Pro tools from Nov 2025, Gemini-based agents from Jan 2026, and Claude for software development and Copilot for office workers by Jun 2026. The Home Depot reports customer reach rather than employee use: Magic Apron fields millions of questions a month (Aug 2026), and The Home Depot app has about 20 million active users (Dec 2025). For employees, The Home Depot has disclosed that thousands of associates have Gemini Enterprise (Jan 2026), that U.S. store associates use Sidekick and Magic Apron, and that Magic Apron for associates' phones was in early rollout (Jun 2026), but no employee-wide AI usage count.
By the numbers
Rollout, first pilot to today
2016
The Home Depot became a Google Cloud customer and later moved its enterprise data warehouse to BigQuery, according to Google Cloud.
Jan 2023
The Home Depot rolled out Sidekick, a homegrown machine learning and machine vision app on associates' hdPhones, to more than 600 stores, with all U.S. stores planned.
2023
The Home Depot first used generative AI to enrich catalog data with product attributes and images, Jordan Broggi said later.
Apr 2024
The Home Depot extended its Google Cloud relationship to use Vertex AI and model training for inventory management and supply chain work.
Oct 2024
The Home Depot released Magic Apron, a generative AI assistant on homedepot.com, Jordan Broggi said later.
Mar 2025
The Home Depot expanded Magic Apron to its app and millions of product pages, with plans to extend it to the Pro site.
May 2025
The Home Depot introduced generative AI tools on hdPhones that give store associates quick answers on operations and products, and Angie Brown became EVP and CIO.
Nov 2025
The Home Depot launched AI-powered Blueprint Takeoffs for Pros and a beta of AI-generated material lists.
Dec 2025
Ted Decker said The Home Depot has hundreds of AI applications in use across its business.
Jan 2026
The Home Depot and Google Cloud launched agentic tools built on Gemini, and The Home Depot gave thousands of associates Gemini Enterprise.
Apr 2026
Fran Bell started as EVP and CTO, and The Home Depot began rolling out Gemini-based AI voice agents for calls to U.S. stores.
Jun 2026
Fortune reported that The Home Depot uses Anthropic's Claude to speed up software development and has made Microsoft Copilot available to office workers.
Jul 2026
The Home Depot moved its store, supply chain and Pro product technology teams into Fran Bell's organization.
Aug 2026
The Home Depot made the in-store version of Magic Apron available in all 2,000+ U.S. stores.
Oct 2026
CIO Angie Brown said The Home Depot had joined Anthropic's Project Glasswing, using Claude Mythos Preview to find flaws in its code.
Economics & controls
Spend and ROI
Technology budget
The Home Depot does not disclose a technology budget. The Home Depot spent $3.7 billion on capital expenditures in fiscal 2025, on $164.7 billion of sales, and plans about $4 billion, or about 2.5% of sales, in fiscal 2026 (Form 10-K, Mar 2026). Ted Decker said in Dec 2025 that the capital plan includes a step-up in technology spending, citing machine learning and AI.
What AI itself costs
The Home Depot has not disclosed what it spends on AI, on Google Cloud, Gemini, Claude or Copilot, or on AI staff. The Home Depot's fiscal 2025 Form 10-K lists testing, developing and deploying AI tools, including generative AI, among the substantial technology investments it is making, some with strategic partners.
Reported ROI
The Home Depot reports no dollar figure for AI's return, for any single use case or for the company as a whole. Ted Decker said in Dec 2025 that Magic Apron and AI-driven search significantly lifted online conversion, and his Mar 2026 letter says Magic Apron has improved the customer experience meaningfully, which is translating into higher conversion and sales, alongside the highest conversion rates in The Home Depot's history.
Productivity
Richard McPhail said in Dec 2025 that The Home Depot intends to drive billions of dollars in productivity over the next few years, enabled by automation and AI, across freight flow, supply chain and central processes, and to balance letting it reach earnings with reinvesting it. McPhail said AI in stores had delivered large productivity gains, much of it reinvested in the customer experience, and Ann-Marie Campbell said machine learning and AI efficiencies let a specialist merchandising team absorb tasks from floor associates.
Headcount
The Home Depot employed about 472,400 associates at the end of fiscal 2025, about 53,400 of them salaried, and said it employed over 470,000 in Aug 2026. The Home Depot cut about 800 Store Support Center roles in Jan 2026, primarily in its technology organization (Retail Dive), and a spokesperson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that its use of AI in operations had been under way for a while, without tying the cuts to AI. The Home Depot has not tied any job reductions to AI in its filings, releases or earnings calls, and Jordan Broggi said in Aug 2026 that associates remain at the center of the shopping experience.
Governance and risk
Board oversight
The Home Depot's Board oversees digital strategy and receives regular updates on emerging technologies, including the use of generative AI and the governance frameworks for responsible use, and the Audit Committee held a session on emerging technology governance in fiscal 2025 (2026 proxy statement). Director Asha Sharma, who joined in 2025, ran Microsoft's CoreAI product organization until Feb 2026.
Responsible use of AI
The Home Depot's Data Security and Privacy Governance Committee, a management committee chaired by the VP of Internal Audit and Corporate Compliance with the CEO as a member, oversees risks from the responsible use of AI and emerging technologies. The committee runs a cross-functional process of senior leaders that sets internal standards and controls, monitors regulation and escalates matters to the Board (2026 proxy statement).
Privacy and vendors
The Home Depot's Privacy and Data Governance Committee, chaired by the Chief Privacy Officer and drawn from about 20 departments, reviews uses of sensitive personal data, and vendors go through a third-party risk program, a Product Solutions Review Board and privacy impact assessments (2026 proxy statement).
People in the loop
The Home Depot's store phone agents always offer customers a direct path to an associate (Apr 2026), Material List Builder AI produces a draft list the Pro edits before accepting (Jan 2026), and The Home Depot's Pro team, not the customer, runs Blueprint Takeoffs and reviews the scope with the Pro (Nov 2025).
Outside AI agents and security
CIO Angie Brown said in Oct 2026 that The Home Depot will support outside AI agents that search and buy for customers only if they identify themselves and the customer they act for, and that it is in talks with Meta about how its Muse agent should introduce itself. Brown also said The Home Depot joined Anthropic's Project Glasswing, whose Claude Mythos Preview found flaws to fix in its code along with some false positives, and that AI means the time to fix a vulnerability has to come down to hours (Business Insider).
Disclosed risks
The Home Depot's fiscal 2025 Form 10-K says testing and deploying AI tools, including generative AI, is among technology efforts that could cause, and on occasion have caused, risks such as system failures, data loss, control failures and delays. The Form 10-K also warns that generative and agentic AI may dramatically change shopping habits, that AI may enable new kinds of cyber attackers, and that AI regulation is changing quickly.
Surveillance and biometrics
A shareholder proposal on The Home Depot's May 2026 ballot asked for a report on customer data privacy risks, citing Flock Safety license plate reader cameras in its parking lots and an Illinois class action alleging facial recognition at self-checkout kiosks violated the state's biometric privacy law. The Home Depot's Board opposed the proposal, saying its license plate reader use is reviewed by its privacy committee and that only local and state law enforcement have been authorized to access the data.
Recent signals
Oct 28, 2026
CIO Angie Brown said The Home Depot has joined Anthropic's Project Glasswing, whose Claude Mythos Preview found flaws in its code, will support outside shopping agents that identify themselves, and is in talks with Meta about its Muse agent.
Aug 27, 2026
The Home Depot made the in-store version of Magic Apron, with store maps, bay locations and local inventory, available in all 2,000+ U.S. stores and said the assistant fields millions of questions a month.
Aug 18, 2026
Jordan Broggi said on the Q2 2026 call that Magic Apron gets millions of questions a month, and Mike Rowe said Pros are building lists and buying more with Material List Builder AI.
Aug 12, 2026
The Home Depot said Ted Decker would take a temporary medical leave, with Ann-Marie Campbell overseeing day-to-day operations and Richard McPhail overseeing financial management and the Pro subsidiaries.
Jul 30, 2026
The Home Depot moved its store, supply chain and Pro product technology teams into CTO Fran Bell's organization and combined customer experience, online, financial services and loyalty under Jordan Broggi.
Jun 24, 2026
Fortune reported that The Home Depot uses Anthropic's Claude to speed up software development, has made Microsoft Copilot available to office workers and took the Pro version of Magic Apron offline for fine-tuning.
Apr 22, 2026
The Home Depot began rolling out AI voice agents built on Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience for calls to U.S. stores after a 50-store pilot, with all U.S. stores planned over the following year.
Apr 15, 2026
The Home Depot acquired SIMPL Automation, whose AI-based distribution center technology it had piloted in Locust Grove, Ga.
Mar 31, 2026
The Home Depot named Fran Bell, Ford's chief data, AI and analytics officer, EVP and CTO from Apr 6, 2026 to lead technology, product management, data and AI.
Mar 30, 2026
The Home Depot said it offers more than a dozen AI-powered capabilities, that its catalog can be browsed in ChatGPT, and that it works with Google and Microsoft on AI route and load optimization.
Mar 18, 2026
Ted Decker's annual letter said Magic Apron has improved the customer experience meaningfully and is translating into higher conversion and sales.
Jan 28, 2026
The Home Depot cut about 800 Store Support Center roles, many of them in technology, and a spokesperson said its use of AI in operations had been under way for a while.
Jan 11, 2026
The Home Depot and Google Cloud announced agentic AI tools built on Gemini at NRF 2026, and The Home Depot gave thousands of associates Gemini Enterprise.
Dec 9, 2025
Ted Decker told investors The Home Depot has hundreds of AI applications in use, and Richard McPhail said automation and AI would help drive billions of dollars in productivity over the next few years.
Nov 19, 2025
The Home Depot launched AI-powered Blueprint Takeoffs to turn single-family blueprints into materials lists and quotes in days instead of weeks.
Quick answers
- How does The Home Depot deploy AI?
- The Home Depot runs hundreds of AI applications across stores, website, supply chain and Pro, led by Magic Apron, a generative AI assistant fielding millions of questions a month and in every U.S. store since Aug 2026. The Home Depot builds its own tools and uses Google Cloud's Gemini for agents and Anthropic's Claude for coding, with CTO Fran Bell owning AI since Apr 2026. The Home Depot credits Magic Apron with higher conversion and sales but reports no figure for AI's return, nor how many associates use AI.
- What does The Home Depot use AI for?
- The Home Depot said in Dec 2025 that it has hundreds of AI applications in use and in Mar 2026 listed more than a dozen AI-powered capabilities, led by the Magic Apron assistant, AI search, conversational customer service and Pro tools for blueprint takeoffs and material lists, alongside systems for order routing, delivery risk, shelf availability, software development and code security. The Home Depot has published no business-level return for any single AI use case. For AI as a whole, The Home Depot reports no dollar figure; Ted Decker's Mar 2026 letter says Magic Apron is translating into higher conversion and sales.
- Who leads AI at The Home Depot?
- AI at The Home Depot is led by Fran Bell (EVP and Chief Technology Officer); Angie Brown (EVP and Chief Information Officer); Ningyu Chen (SVP, Technology (online, marketing and customer experience)). Ownership of AI on the org chart: EVP and CTO Fran Bell (since Apr 2026, reporting to the CEO), alongside EVP and CIO Angie Brown.
- What AI platform does The Home Depot use?
- The Home Depot builds its own AI products, including the Magic Apron assistant, the Sidekick store app and AI tools for Pro takeoffs and material lists, and buys Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise for customer service agents and thousands of associates (Jan 2026) and Microsoft Copilot for office workers (Jun 2026).
- Which AI models does The Home Depot use?
- The Home Depot names Google's Gemini models and Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience behind its agents (Jan 2026), Anthropic's Claude for software development (Jun 2026) and Claude Mythos Preview for code security (Oct 2026); it has not named the models behind Magic Apron's first version (Oct 2024).
- How many Home Depot employees use AI?
- Magic Apron fields millions of customer questions a month and is available in all 2,000+ U.S. stores (Aug 2026), but The Home Depot has not said how many of its 472,400 associates use AI tools at work.
- How far has AI spread at The Home Depot?
- The Home Depot has reported no business return it credits to AI, for any use case or for the company as a whole: Ted Decker's Mar 2026 letter says Magic Apron is translating into higher conversion and sales, and Jordan Broggi said in Dec 2025 that generative AI chat had tripled customer self-service at a lower cost, but neither gave a figure, and the billions of dollars in productivity Richard McPhail targets over the next few years are a goal credited to automation and AI together. The Home Depot has not reported a company-wide AI rollout with a user count either: it gave thousands of associates Gemini Enterprise (Jan 2026) and puts Sidekick and Magic Apron in U.S. stores, but has not said how many of its 472,400 associates use AI tools, although EVP and CTO Fran Bell, who reports to the CEO, has owned technology, data and AI since Apr 2026. The Home Depot is therefore at Experimenting despite hundreds of AI applications in use; one return it credits to AI, such as a sales figure for Magic Apron, or a stated count of associates using its AI tools would move it to Piloting.
Open questions
- How many of The Home Depot's 472,400 associates use AI tools each week, and how far have Gemini Enterprise, Copilot and Magic Apron for associates spread beyond the groups that had them in 2026?
- What does The Home Depot spend on AI, including Google Cloud, Gemini, Claude, Copilot and its AI staff, given that it publishes no technology budget?
- What sales or conversion lift does Magic Apron deliver in numbers, given that The Home Depot credits it with higher conversion and sales but gives no figure?
- Which models power Magic Apron beyond the Gemini Enterprise shopping agent added in Jan 2026, and which ran its first version in Oct 2024?
- Does CIO Angie Brown report to the CEO, as CTO Fran Bell does, and which of the two owns the AI platform and model choices?
- How much of the billions of dollars in productivity The Home Depot targets over the next few years comes from AI rather than other automation?
- What business return do The Home Depot's deployed tools with no published figures deliver, such as the chat and SMS rebuild, whose lower cost Jordan Broggi did not quantify, Blueprint Takeoffs, Material List Builder AI, Sidekick, the store phone agents and Claude for coding?
- How many data scientists and AI engineers does The Home Depot employ after the Jan 2026 cut of about 800 Store Support Center roles, many of them in technology?
- Has The Home Depot joined agentic shopping in Google's AI Mode and the Gemini app, as it planned in Jan 2026, and do outside AI assistants drive measurable sales?
- Does The Home Depot use facial recognition or other biometric AI in its stores, as an Illinois class action cited on its 2026 ballot alleges?
Sources
The Home Depot
- AI at The Home Depot: A Look at the Future of Home Improvement (Mar 30, 2026)
- The Home Depot expands Magic Apron to in-store guidance (Aug 27, 2026)
- Unveiling Magic Apron (Mar 6, 2025)
- The Home Depot and Google Cloud launch agentic AI tools (Jan 11, 2026)
- Store phone support with Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience (Apr 22, 2026)
- AI-powered Blueprint Takeoffs (Nov 19, 2025)
- Material List Builder AI (Jan 26, 2026)
- Pro digital experience with project management and AI tools (Mar 18, 2026)
- Franziska Bell named EVP and CTO (Mar 31, 2026)
- Organizational realignment (Jul 30, 2026)
- Interim management plans during CEO medical leave (Aug 12, 2026)
- Sidekick in-store app for associates (Jan 18, 2023)
- SIMPL Automation acquisition (Apr 15, 2026)
- Leadership
- Fran Bell, EVP and CTO, biography
- Angie Brown, EVP and CIO, biography
- Jordan Broggi, EVP of Interconnected Retail, biography
- Ningyu Chen, SVP Technology, biography
- Deepak Arora, SVP Technology, biography
- Rebecca Godecke, SVP and President, Online, biography
- John Deaton, EVP Supply Chain & Product Development, biography
- Teresa Wynn Roseborough, EVP and General Counsel, biography
- Stephanie Smith, EVP Human Resources, biography
- Technology careers
Filings, letters and investor materials
- Fiscal 2025 Form 10-K (fiscal year ended Feb 1, 2026)
- Fiscal 2024 Form 10-K
- 2025 Annual Report and letter to shareholders (Mar 18, 2026)
- 2026 Proxy Statement
- 2025 Investor and Analyst Conference transcript (Dec 9, 2025)
- 2025 Investor and Analyst Conference presentation (Dec 9, 2025)
- Q2 2026 earnings call transcript (Aug 18, 2026)
- Q1 2026 earnings call transcript (May 19, 2026)
- Q4 2025 earnings call transcript (Feb 24, 2026)
- Q3 2025 earnings call transcript (Nov 18, 2025)
- Q2 2025 earnings call transcript (Aug 19, 2025)
- Q1 2025 earnings call transcript (May 20, 2025)
- Q3 2024 earnings call transcript (Nov 12, 2024)
Partners
- Google Cloud Press Corner: The Home Depot and Google Cloud launch agentic AI tools (Jan 11, 2026)
- Google Cloud Press Corner: The Home Depot extends relationship with Google Cloud (Apr 11, 2024)
- Google Cloud: The Home Depot customer story
- Google Cloud blog: The Home Depot's SAP migration to Google Cloud (Dec 9, 2021)
News
- Business Insider: Home Depot wants your AI agent to show some ID first (Oct 28, 2026)
- Retail Dive: The Home Depot extends AI assistance in local stores (Sep 1, 2026)
- Fortune on The Home Depot's AI applications and technology leaders (Jun 24, 2026)
- CIO Dive on Fran Bell's appointment as CTO (Apr 1, 2026)
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution on The Home Depot's cut of 800 corporate jobs (Jan 29, 2026)
- Retail Dive on The Home Depot's cut of about 800 Store Support Center roles (Jan 28, 2026)
Data confidence
- Confirmed
- Stated in a primary or reputable public source.
- Estimated
- Derived or approximated from public reporting.
- Unconfirmed
- Reported, but not yet corroborated.
The Home Depot profile · Enterprise AI diffusion report by Imagine · facts checked against their sources on Nov 1, 2026
