Meta launched its AI agent Muse, which performs tasks like booking travel, sending emails, and negotiating bills. Unlike chatbots, Muse operates independently by opening browsers, filling out forms, and working in the background. It requires user approval for specific actions like purchases or sending emails.
Stripe’s Link wallet integrates with Muse to facilitate payments. Link serves over 300 million users and operates at more than one million businesses. For merchants not supporting Link directly, the system generates single-use virtual cards for approved transactions, ensuring the agent never accesses raw payment data.
The startup Instinct offers a text-based AI agent that requires broad access to user accounts, including email and purchase history. Users grant the agent authority to sign agreements and make transactions in their name. The company caps its total liability for purchases at $100 or the product cost.
Consumer trust remains a hurdle for AI agents. While 72 percent of U.S. consumers have used AI assistants, only 23 percent trust them with payments. PYMNTS Intelligence data indicates that 69 percent of consumers are open to agents managing groceries and subscriptions, with 49 percent willing to delegate routine and large purchases.
