Payments Industry Embraces Autonomous AI Agents for Smarter Transactions
The rise of agentic AI is transforming payments and financial services, with industry leaders highlighting its potential for autonomous decision-making and task execution.
The latest wave of artificial intelligence (AI) is shifting from passive automation to agentic AI—autonomous software workers capable of making decisions, executing tasks, and collaborating like humans. In financial services, payments, and B2B commerce, this technology is already being deployed, according to insights from industry leaders in the "What’s Next In Payments: Secret Agents" series.
Key Themes in Agentic AI Adoption
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AI Agents as Autonomous Operators
AI is evolving beyond chatbots and content generation into agents that observe, learn, and act independently.- Amir Wain, CEO of i2c, says AI agents are now part of organizational charts, emphasizing effectiveness over novelty.
- Nabil Manji of Worldpay highlights AI's role in improving customer onboarding and underwriting.
- Rajiv Ramachandran from Coupa notes AI agents are making payment decisions autonomously.
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Governance and Trust as Priorities
With autonomy comes risk, requiring robust governance frameworks.- Kathryn McCall of Trustly stresses the need for audit logs and human oversight.
- Illya Shell from Boost Payment Solutions calls payments a "zero-error industry."
- Elizabeth Wadsworth of Velera emphasizes building member trust.
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Infrastructure Overhauls for Scalability
Legacy systems struggle to support AI agents’ real-time demands.- Edwin Poot of Thredd warns of underestimating infrastructure needs.
- Mark Sundt from Stax highlights the importance of orchestration to manage multiple agents.
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Payments and Commerce as Testing Grounds
Agentic AI is being tested in fraud detection, cross-border payments, and B2B automation.- Shell notes AI’s potential to streamline cross-border transactions.
- Wain points out AI agents prioritize value over marketing in commerce.
The Future of AI in Payments
AI agents are here—working tirelessly, making decisions, and reshaping financial operations. The question now is whether businesses are ready to integrate them fully. As Wain puts it, "They just look for real value."
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About the Author
Alex Thompson
AI Technology Editor
Senior technology editor specializing in AI and machine learning content creation for 8 years. Former technical editor at AI Magazine, now provides technical documentation and content strategy services for multiple AI companies. Excels at transforming complex AI technical concepts into accessible content.