Eko, a Brooklyn-based company, has established a massive warehouse in Bentonville, Arkansas, dubbed a 'capture factory' to manually create highly detailed product images for AI training. This facility, larger than two football fields, employs hundreds of hand models, stylists, and directors to photograph products like vitamin bottles and strollers from every angle, adjusting lighting and removing imperfections. The goal is to vastly improve the accuracy of online product listings for major retailers including Walmart, which has invested in Eko alongside Sequoia Capital and Intel Capital. Walmart's investment underscores the critical need for better AI training data in retail.

The process is labor-intensive but aims to provide retailers with a superior digital catalog, directly impacting how AI interprets and presents product information to consumers.