Breaking news

AI Agents Revolutionize Global Commerce: The Dawn Of Agentic Commerce

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

December 29, 2025

Emergence Of Agentic Commerce

Major payment and technology companies are pioneering the next evolution in global commerce—agentic commerce, a system where artificial intelligence agents perform searches, compare prices, and execute purchases on behalf of consumers. This transformation builds on the growing consumer reliance on chatbots for everyday transactions and represents a significant shift from traditional e-commerce models.

From Digital To Intelligent

Industry leaders such as Visa and Mastercard are at the forefront, designing infrastructure that integrates AI into the payment process. Sandeep Malhotra, Executive Vice President for Core Payments in Asia Pacific at Mastercard, highlighted that we have transitioned from cash to digital, and now from digital to intelligent commerce. This progression promises a transformative impact potentially greater than the advent of platforms like Amazon.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

How Agentic Commerce Works

The concept of agentic commerce involves AI systems that autonomously handle product discovery, price comparisons, and secure payments without requiring users to switch between multiple interfaces. For example, a user may instruct an AI to find and book the cheapest red-eye flight from Singapore to Tokyo under $500. The AI agent would then process the search, present the best options, finalize the payment using stored credentials, and complete the booking—all within a single conversational interface.

Piloting The Future

Both Visa and Mastercard have initiated early pilot programs to refine and secure this technology. With promising tests in regions such as Asia Pacific, experts predict the technology will fully materialize around early 2026. The rapid adoption of AI-enhanced shopping experiences, as evidenced by a significant rise in AI-driven retail site traffic reported by Adobe, underscores the market’s readiness for this innovation.

Addressing Structural And Security Challenges

While the efficiency gains and convenience of agentic commerce are evident, there are significant challenges to overcome. Payment companies are developing robust security measures, including ‘agentic tokens’ and the recently launched Trusted Agent Protocol by Visa, to authenticate AI agents and distinguish them from malicious bots. Additionally, liability concerns must be addressed as AI systems introduce a new fifth party into the traditional four-party payment transaction framework.

Implications For Merchants And Consumers

Proponents argue that agentic commerce will streamline shopping by reducing search costs and personalizing consumer experiences. However, this shift will also require merchants to innovate rapidly—adapting their loyalty programs, pricing strategies, and customer engagement models to remain competitive in an AI-driven market. As consumer behavior evolves, traditional e-commerce practices will inevitably give way to this emerging paradigm.

The Unavoidable Shift

Despite potential hiccups during the formative phase, industry experts agree that the evolution towards agentic commerce is inevitable. With investments from major players and collaborations with AI innovators such as OpenAI, the transition from digital to intelligent commerce will redefine consumer transactions. In the near future, companies across the payment and tech sectors are poised to benefit from a more efficient, secure, and personalized shopping experience.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

ECB Launches Geopolitical Stress Tests For 110 Eurozone Banks

The European Central Bank is preparing a new round of geopolitical stress tests aimed at assessing potential risks to major financial institutions across the euro area. Up to 110 systemic banks, including institutions in Greece and the Bank of Cyprus, will take part in the exercise, which examines how geopolitical events could affect financial stability.

Timeline And Testing Process

Banks are expected to submit initial data on March 16, 2026. Supervisors will review the information in April, while the final results are scheduled to be published in July 2026. The process forms part of the ECB’s broader supervisory work to evaluate financial system resilience under different risk scenarios.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Geopolitical Shock As The Primary Concern

The stress tests place particular emphasis on geopolitical risks. These may include armed conflicts, economic sanctions, cyberattacks and energy supply disruptions. Such events can affect banks through changes in market conditions, borrower solvency and sector exposure. Lending portfolios linked to regions or industries affected by geopolitical developments may face higher risk levels.

Reverse Stress Testing: A Tailored Approach

Unlike traditional stress tests that apply the same scenario to all institutions, the reverse stress test requires each bank to define a scenario that could significantly affect its capital position. Banks must identify a geopolitical shock that could reduce their Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio by at least 300 basis points. Institutions are also expected to assess potential effects on liquidity, funding conditions and broader economic indicators such as GDP and unemployment.

Customized Risk Assessments And Supervisor Collaboration

This methodology allows banks to submit risk assessments based on their own exposures and operational structures. The approach is intended to help supervisors understand how geopolitical events could affect institutions differently and to support discussions between banks and regulators on risk management and contingency planning.

Differentiated Vulnerabilities Across Countries

A joint report by the ECB and the European Systemic Risk Board indicates that countries respond differently to geopolitical shocks. The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to higher energy prices and inflation across Europe, prompting central banks to raise interest rates. Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece and Austria experienced increases in borrowing costs and lower investor confidence. Germany, France and Portugal recorded more moderate changes, while Spain, Malta, Latvia and Finland showed intermediate levels of exposure.

Conclusion

The geopolitical stress tests will not immediately lead to additional capital requirements for banks. Their results will feed into the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process (SREP). ECB supervisors may use the findings when assessing capital adequacy, risk management practices and operational resilience at individual institutions.