AI starts shopping for you as Visa plugs ChatGPT into the global payments network.
LONDON – Another practical development we’ve seen in consumer AI is ChatGPT being able to become a digital shopping agent rather than just a smart search and recommender. The limiting factor now is increasing user confidence and improving safety, and that can make AI truly useful in everyday life while the risks still remain.
Visa’s global payments network and OpenAI’s AI system are now connected in a way that turns conversation into action. What once required multiple tabs, carts and checkouts can now be handled in a single thread. Yet, humans still have the ultimate say. One tap of approval is required before transferring money. But the direction is clear: the line between asking and buying is beginning to blur.
The world’s second-largest card payment organization has officially embedded its payment infrastructure into ChatGPT, enabling a new era where AI can not only recommend products but potentially buy them on your behalf, in what industry leaders call “agentic commerce,” a system where AI agents independently research, compare and execute purchases for consumers.
Under the new model, ChatGPT can scan products from all merchants, compare prices, review options, and complete checkout using Visa’s tokenized payment system and fraud prevention infrastructure. In theory, AI becomes a complete shopping assistant from discovery to delivery decision-making.
In the initial phase, users must explicitly approve most transactions, with ChatGPT sending purchase prompts before completing payments. The system is designed to gradually build trust, with Visa executives suggesting that repeated approvals could eventually reduce friction, potentially leading to fully autonomous purchases in the future.
Rival payments giant Mastercard is also moving into the AI commerce space, though its initial focus is less. Mastercard is reportedly exploring AI-powered procurement tools for enterprises, such as automated vendor selection and service purchasing rather than consumer retail shopping.
For OpenAI, this move also comes at an important moment. The company is gearing up for a potential public offering, and the integration of a real-world payment system signals a broader push beyond conversational AI into transactional infrastructure, where AI doesn’t just advise consumers but acts on their behalf.
The shift comes with equal parts optimism and risk as proponents envision a future where shopping becomes seamless, instant, and completely personalized, while critics warn that handing over purchasing power to autonomous systems raises new questions about consent, control, and financial security.
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The post AI starts shopping for you as Visa plugs ChatGPT into global payments network appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.
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