Davos panel: Trust, not technology, is AI’s biggest challenge as systems gain autonomy
LONDON: As global executives gathered in Davos to discuss how to scale artificial intelligence beyond pilot projects, one message stood out: the next phase of AI will not simply assist human decisions, but act on them, including spending money.
Speaking on Tuesday at a panel discussion titled “Scaling AI: Now Comes the Hard Part,” Visa CEO Ryan McInerney said AI is moving rapidly toward what he described as “agentic commerce,” where autonomous systems are empowered to search, select and purchase goods on behalf of consumers.
“In 2026, most of us will continue to shop on our AI platform of choice,” McInerney said. “But now we’ll be able to buy natively on the platform. The buy button will be there.”
McInerney said the bigger shift would come when consumers allow agents to transact independently, a change that would require new levels of trust across the payments ecosystem.
