Building trust and confidence for agentic Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant promise-it's reshaping our lives right now. From diagnosing diseases to powering personalised learning and even orchestrating moments of commerce, AI's capabilities are unlocking new frontiers in productivity and human potential.

As we look ahead, there's no question that AI will be a driving force behind the commerce of tomorrow - enabling seamless, secure, and intelligent experiences that are only beginning to take shape.

Yet, this future hinges on a crucial factor: trust. According to recent research from the Institute for the Future and Visa, global trust in AI companies has declined to 53%, down from 61% just five years ago. The path forward is clear: to truly realise AI's promise, we must close the trust gap and ensure these technologies are built responsibly, transparently, and with the interests of people at their core.


Enabling Intelligent Commerce

As we shared in our recent "Commerce of Tomorrow, Today" report, the next era of commerce will be driven by intelligent, interconnected experiences. Consumers are using AI to discover products, compare prices, and make purchases with unprecedented ease. The rise of commerce driven by agentic AI innovations-where AIpowered virtual assistants act on our behalf to shop, negotiate, and buy-will require new levels of authentication, verification, and trust. These agents will need to not only understand our preferences but act transparently and ethically as extensions of ourselves.

Data, Intellectual Property

Trust in AI begins with trust in how data is handled. Visa's global payments network is built on the responsible use of data-to prevent fraud, enhance security, and deliver value to our clients and consumers. Our data platform is one of the most sophisticated and secure in the world, and we take our stewardship responsibilities seriously. As AI systems become more powerful, companies must elevate their approach to data privacy and intellectual property. It's imperative to obtain consent, safeguard personal data, and prevent misuse.

Implementing AI Responsibly

The rise of agentic AI demands a new approach to technology deployment. Historically, the "move fast and break things" mentality has driven rapid innovation-but with AI, especially in sensitive domains like payments, healthcare, and news, safety and responsibility must come first.

Empowering Consumer Control

Building this responsible approach to AI requires putting the right infrastructure in place. Through our Visa Intelligent Commerce APIs, we're creating a framework where consumers maintain granular control over their data and AI interactions.

Central to this approach is our use of data tokens, which create a secure layer between consumer information and AI systems. This allows for personalised, intelligent experiences without exposing sensitive personal data-giving consumers the benefits of AI-powered commerce while maintaining full control over their information.

We're also working across the entire payments ecosystem-merchants, financial institutions, technology partners, and regulators-to establish industry standards for AI-driven commerce that prioritise consumer protection from the ground up. Rather than retrofitting privacy into existing systems, we're building these principles into the foundation of next-generation commerce infrastructure.

This includes collaborating with policymakers to develop frameworks governing how AI agents interact with payment systems, what authentication is required for autonomous transactions, and how consumer rights are protected as commerce becomes increasingly automated.

Trust for Future of Commerce

Closing the AI trust gap is not a solo endeavor-it's a collective responsibility. As AI becomes more pervasive and more autonomous, we must define what we want these systems to do-and, just as importantly, what we do not want them to do. Governance, oversight, and continuous engagement are essential to shaping a future where AI expands, rather than erodes, human potential.

(The author is President, Technology, at Visa. He will be speaking at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum in New Delhi)