AI will soon be able to make purchases based on your interests. Simply, you must side in your credit cards. Last year, Visa and Mastercard both announced that cardholders could manage purchases made with their credit cards for things like groceries, travel, and everything in between.

Visa confirmed to Wired that widespread use of its innovative Visa Intelligent Commerce system is anticipated to begin in the new year. Similar to Visa’s offering, the Agentic Payments Program of Mastercard’s is now available in the US.

In the press release, Visa’s general goods and strategy officer, Jack Forestell, stated that” Soon people will possess AI agents view, find, order, and manage on their behalf.” These agents will need to be trusted by both banks and sellers when making payments, not just by users.

However, it can’t always be a simple question to trust AI. Since its debut, it has frequently been in the news for deceptive responses and “hallucinations,” fabricating data, or acting in unusual ways. Giving AI your financial information could have serious consequences, but asking for it to be added to your pizza is one thing. What happens if an AI agent hallucinates and makes a purchase worth hundreds of dollars, or is given a phishing site link?

Additionally, it’s unclear how these services will deliver and evaluate shopping recommendations. As long as the recommendations are reliable and free of bias, AI recommendations can be helpful.

Additionally, ChatGPT announced last month that its ChatGPT Search will include shopping options. ChatGPT’s product, however, doesn’t make the necessary purchases for you.

You might not have the same level of confidence in making the purchase as if you did it yourself, but these AI agents could help you find products quicker, save you a click or two, and make it easier to find them. &nbsp,

The new programs for Visa and Mastercard are designed to use AI to learn your buying habits and customize your shopping experience. However, they go one step further by allowing you to grant AI the ability to make purchases for you.

For instance, Mastercard stated that if you’re planning a party, the AI agent will make the recommendations based on your preferences and conversation, and will ultimately make the purchases for you. &nbsp,

How can businesses pay to have their products promoted, or how the AI agent will choose the best product for you.

To prevent the AI agent from using your actual credit card information, both programs are tokenized for security, which basically means that your credit card information is replaced with a one-time-use key. It resembles using a virtual card number. &nbsp,

You can set up controls, such as spending limits and purchase restrictions, without having to use a new credit card, according to Visa and Mastercard, and they say you won’t need one to use the new AI tools.

Both businesses claimed that any dispute resolution and existing credit card fraud protections also apply to AI agents. &nbsp,

Although some generative AI implementations are beneficial and can help with problems that arise in daily life, not everything can be automated by AI.

The biggest advantages of these new AI agents, at least on the surface, are creating a personalized shopping experience and reducing the amount of time spent researching and ultimately checking out. &nbsp,

Although those improvements may be helpful, they may also make it easier to spend money because you only need so much time to complete the purchase. The agent may also offer you products that might not be what you normally buy, which could result in credit card debt.

Most of the other features are already in some form, aside from learning your shopping preferences. &nbsp,

Without the need for AI to make purchases on your behalf, bill payments and subscriptions can already be automated. If you want to narrow down product offers, you can already use generative AI like ChatGPT or use Google reviews to conduct your own research to find the best match.

Your personal information is a hotter commodity than many people realize, just like how you shop, and consent to use it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Although these AI purchases are subject to Visa and Mastercard fraud protection, previous problems raise the question of whether you should give your financial information to AI. &nbsp,

One thing happens when an AI presents something as a historical fact that has never occurred or uses extra fingers to make up a generated image. However, at least for the moment, you should be especially cautious when it comes to spending your money and sharing personal habits.

CNET senior AI editor Jon Reed said,” Truly using these tools to make any financial decisions for you, no matter how small, carries some risk that they won’t do what you’re expecting them to do.” &nbsp,

Make sure to keep a close eye on your financial accounts and transactions to spot anything unanticipated before it becomes a bigger issue if you do decide to use these tools.