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The world’s top payment giants are betting big on AI. This week, Visa and Mastercard unveiled major initiatives that will let AI agents shop, make decisions, and complete purchases on your behalf; a major leap into what’s being called agentic commerce.

This is more than a tech upgrade. It’s a radical shift in how consumers will interact with the online marketplace. Instead of browsing or adding items to your cart, AI will soon handle everything from search to payment, based on your preferences.

Visa’s play

Revealed Wednesday at the Visa Global Product Drop, Visa’s new platform enables developers to build AI shopping agents that can search, compare, decide, and spend using Visa’s infrastructure.

“Each consumer sets the limits, and Visa helps manage the rest,” said Jack Forestell, Visa’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer.

The offering includes:

• AI-ready credit cards with tokenized digital credentials for security
• Personalized insights (with user consent) to improve agent performance
• Transaction tools that allow AI to complete purchases within user-defined rules

Photo by CardMapr.nl on Unsplash

Visa is working with a powerhouse list of partners: OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic, IBM, Mistral AI, Perplexity, Stripe, and Samsung, among others.

Mastercard’s move

Just one day earlier, Mastercard launched Agent Pay, a tool that lets generative AI agents make purchases directly in the flow of conversation. Imagine chatting with an AI stylist that knows your size, style, and event and buys the perfect outfit for you.

“She can now chat with an AI agent to proactively curate a selection of outfits… and make the purchase,” Mastercard said, describing a 30th birthday planning scenario.

Mastercard is collaborating with Microsoft, IBM, Braintree, and Checkout.com to scale these agentic experiences across industries.

It’s Not Just Them:

• PayPal unveiled its own AI shopping agent this week.
• Amazon began testing “Buy for Me”, an AI-powered shopping tool.
• OpenAI and Google are also rolling out agents that can search, evaluate, and purchase products online.

New Reality

The age of scrolling and clicking is giving way to delegating. You’ll be able to tell your AI what you need and it will go get it, securely and efficiently. Want it cheap, sustainable, and delivered tomorrow? Your agent will handle it.

AI is becoming your new personal shopper. Visa and Mastercard just opened the door to a future where buying things is as easy as asking, and paying happens behind the scenes with AI doing the heavy lifting.

The post Visa and Mastercard Just Gave AI the Power to Shop and Pay for You appeared first on DailyAI.

UK regulator to launch live AI testing lab to help firms go public.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is set to launch a live artificial intelligence testing service in September 2025, giving UK financial firms a rare opportunity to test their AI models with regulatory oversight before going public.

The program is designed to help companies safely and responsibly deploy consumer-facing and market-facing AI tools, while offering the FCA valuable insight into how artificial intelligence might reshape financial markets.

AI is becoming central to finance from fraud detection to investment analysis, but regulation is still catching up. By launching this live testing environment, the FCA is stepping in to close the “testing gap” and ensure AI tools are safe, compliant, and effective before hitting the real world.

Photo by Growtika on Unsplash

• The service will run for 12 to 18 months, as part of the FCA’s expanding AI Lab
• Companies will collaborate directly with the FCA to test how their AI systems perform in a live, but controlled environment
• The FCA will collect real-time intelligence to monitor risks and better understand AI’s impact on UK markets

The FCA will provide firms with ongoing guidance, helping them align AI deployments with compliance standards and consumer protections.

Jessica Rusu, FCA’s Chief Data, Intelligence and Information Officer, said: “Under our new strategy, we’ve committed to being increasingly tech positive to support growth. We want financial firms and their customers to benefit from AI, so we’re providing a safe space to test how they plan to use it.”

Part of the plan

The testing service supports the FCA’s five-year strategy, which aims to modernize financial oversight, promote innovation, and keep the UK’s financial services globally competitive. It builds on recent initiatives like the My FCA portal, which streamlines regulatory reporting, and a proposed crypto authorisation regime coming in 2026.

What’s next

• The FCA is accepting feedback on the testing service until June 10
• Launch is planned for September 2025, following adjustments based on industry input

As AI rapidly reshapes financial services, the FCA’s live testing lab offers a path to innovation that doesn’t cut corners on safety. It’s a major move to position the UK as a leader in responsible AI adoption and to help firms move faster, with fewer surprises.

The post FCA Just Dropped Big News on Live AI Testing for UK Firms appeared first on DailyAI.

New Meta AI app joins the chatbot war, and it’s personal.

Meta has officially launched its standalone AI chatbot app, powered by its in-house Llama 4 model. The app puts Meta directly into the ring with ChatGPT, as well as rivals like Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and xAI’s Grok.

This is Meta’s most aggressive AI move yet and it’s designed to be your always-on, personalized assistant.

Meta is no longer just embedding AI into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Now it wants its AI to be front and center, as your default companion, built for constant, natural conversation.

Key features

• Conversational engine: Uses full-duplex speech for more natural, real-time voice conversations.
• Discover feed: Shows how others are using Meta AI, with the option to remix shared prompts.
• Personalized memory: Meta AI can remember facts about you (with your consent), such as your travel preferences or hobbies, and tailor responses using data from your Meta profile and app behaviour.
• Web platform upgrade: Meta has improved the Meta AI web experience, with new tools for generating and editing text and images, plus PDF export and document analysis in testing.

“2025 is going to be the year when a highly intelligent and personalized AI assistant reaches more than 1 billion people, and I expect Meta AI to be that leading AI assistant.” – Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg

Meta AI has been integrated into its core apps since 2023, replacing the search functions across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. As of January, it had 700 million monthly users, up 100 million in a month.

But this new app is Meta’s first serious move to compete directly on neutral ground, outside the Meta ecosystem, just like ChatGPT or Gemini.

Risks

The launch comes amid growing concerns over the mental health impact of personalized AI, especially among teens. Meta’s AI has already faced criticism for inappropriate conversations and hyper-personal engagement.

Still, Meta’s pushing forward, aiming to redefine digital companionship.

Availability

• iOS and Android now live
• Voice chat available in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand
• Personalized features rolling out first to users in the US and Canada

Meta is placing a massive bet that the next big thing in AI isn’t just smarter, it’s more personal. And it wants to be the company that builds the AI assistant you’ll trust with your daily life.

The post Meta Launches Its Own AI App to Challenge ChatGPT appeared first on DailyAI.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is teaming up with OpenAI to bring generative AI into the skies, marking OpenAI’s first-ever deal with a major airline.

This bold move promises to transform the passenger journey and internal operations using the same tech that powers ChatGPT.

This isn’t just a chatbot upgrade. It’s a full digital transformation aimed at making your travel experience smarter, faster, and more personal.

What to expect

• Upgraded Virtual Assistant: SIA’s website assistant is getting a GenAI brain. It will now help you plan, book, and manage trips with personalized suggestions and real-time help.
• Expanded Self-Service: More tasks can be handled directly by passengers; no more waiting for human support.
• AI in Operations: Behind the scenes, OpenAI tools will help SIA staff automate routine tasks, process complex data, and make faster decisions.

Photo by Troy Mortier on Unsplash

SIA plans to integrate AI into operational tools to manage complex tasks like crew scheduling, factoring in regulations, staffing, and logistics. This means fewer delays and smoother flights.

What the leaders say

George Wang, SVP IT at SIA: “By harnessing cutting-edge AI solutions, we will enhance operational efficiency and staff productivity, and elevate the end-to-end customer experience.”

Oliver Jay, MD International at OpenAI: “We’re excited to explore how advanced AI can enhance the travel experience, empower employees, and optimize complex operations.”

Singapore Airlines isn’t just using AI, it’s redefining how airlines operate and serve customers. Expect a more seamless, intuitive, and efficient journey from booking to boarding.

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