Autonomous AI Shopping Revolutionizes Retail Experience

With his trademark incisive POV, Oliver Jenkyn lays out the trajectory for agentic commerce at the packed Visa Payment Forum earlier today.

Interesting themes emerging from Visa Payments Forum: AI, intelligent risk management, and the evolution of commerce. As innovation continues to accelerate, the real opportunity lies in turning new capabilities into meaningful outcomes for clients, businesses, and consumers and we are here to partner. Looking forward to seeing how these conversations shape the future of payments. #VPF2026 #Payments #AI #Innovation

Last week it was a privilege to attend Visa's Payments Forum #VPF, and I left energized, inspired, and challenged. My favorite sentiment from Oliver Jenkyn: "If you're not at least a little confused, you're not listening," referring to the current possibly overwhelming culimination of agentic commerce, stablecoins, and the accelerating digitization of payments. I'm headed back to my payments role envigorated by new ideas, products, and inspiration to take on the next set of challenges.

Everyone is talking about agents shopping on behalf of consumers. I keep thinking about the merchant side. Because an agent does not just need to find the best product. It needs to decide which merchant is safe to recommend. - Is this seller legitimate? - Is the offer real? - Is the product accurately represented? - Can this merchant actually fulfill? - What happens if the buyer disputes it later? - Who takes the hit if the agent sent them to the wrong place? For merchants, this gets even more complex. A new buyer may no longer look like a human browsing, comparing, hesitating, coming back, checking reviews. They may look like an agent hitting the checkout with compressed context and very little behavioral history. That changes the risk model. Agentic commerce will not only be about helping consumers buy faster. It will be about helping the ecosystem understand which merchants can be trusted, which transactions should be approved, and how to make risk decisions when the buyer journey is no longer human-shaped. That layer is less flashy than the agent demo. But it is probably where this whole thing either scales or gets stuck.

The world pushes for conformity because large-scale social, economic, and institutional systems naturally thrive on predictability and efficiency. From standardized education systems designed for mass instruction to corporate environments built on uniform processes, it is vastly easier and cheaper to manage public infrastructure, consumer markets, and legal frameworks when people behave, think, and consume in predictable ways. Society inherently rewards compliance with stability and acceptance, while treating non-conformity as an inefficient risk, effectively creating a cultural and economic gravity that constantly pulls unique individuals toward a comfortable, standardized baseline.

Teaching digital citizenship is essential because it helps students learn how to use technology safely, respectfully, and responsibly. This helps students better understand their digital footprint. #EDLT3110

Intellectuals serve as the engine room of any developing society. While laborers build the physical infrastructure and leaders direct governance, it is the thinkers, educators, and innovators who provide the vision, critique, and structural framework necessary for long-term progress. A society that does not cultivate and respect its intellectual minds inevitably stagnates, relying on outdated systems and borrowed ideas. 1. Driving Innovation and Problem Solving Every major societal advancement—from modern agricultural techniques that ensure food security to advancements in healthcare and engineering—begins as an intellectual pursuit. Translating Theory to Progress: Intellectuals analyze a society’s unique challenges and design tailored, sustainable solutions rather than applying superficial fixes. Economic Resilience: In a modern world, physical labor alone cannot sustain a nation. Intellectual capital transforms raw resources into high-value industries, ensuring economic stability. 2. The Role of Education as the Foundation Intellectuals are not born in a vacuum; they are forged through rigorous education. Teachers and academic institutions are the primary drivers of this development. Cultivating the Next Generation: True educators do not just pass down facts; they teach children how to think, analyze, and question. The Power of Literacy: A reading culture expands a society's collective consciousness. When citizens read, they absorb generations of human wisdom, preventing the repetition of historical mistakes. 3. Guardians of Morality, Integrity, and Justice Beyond technology and economics, intellectuals provide the ethical blueprint for a community. They serve as the conscience of society. Challenging the Status Quo: Thinkers have the courage to objectively critique existing systems, exposing corruption, inefficiency, or cultural practices that hold people back. Formulating Policy: Sound governance relies on data, philosophy, and legal expertise. Intellectuals map out policies that protect human rights, encourage community-led development, and ensure resources are managed with integrity. "To torch a path toward true societal growth, a nation must first honor its teachers, protect its thinkers, and value the quiet pursuit of wisdom over the loud pursuit of status." When a community actively supports its intellectual sector, it creates an environment where determination, humility, and character thrive—laying down a foundation that ensures the society doesn't just survive, but truly advances.

Algorithmic literacy should be treated as civic infrastructure. This excellent article by Dr Cornelia C. Walther highlights that, when algorithms shape the conditions under which people think and decide, disclosure alone is not enough. Good policy will not eliminate asymmetry altogether, but it can narrow the gap where it matters most by making automated influence visible, contestable, auditable and governable. Link to the article in the comments. #FutureofWork #FairWork

A new study from VCCP suggests that years of economic uncertainty and declining trust in institutions have created a more self-reliant UK consumer. The research conducted in May 2026 found that people are increasingly managing areas of their lives independently, supported by digital tools, online communities, and self-directed learning. Read here: https://lnkd.in/deEcrMT2 Jenny Nichols Jack Bellamy Stefan Siedentopf Ellie Gauci Bas Vlugt Bob Koigi Michelle Waweru Pielina Kamau Andrea Ayemoba Kanali Nixon Patience RUTAYISIRE Follow us on Marketing Report International #research #retail

Americans aren't money savvy, and they're only getting worse. That's the headline from The New York Times' piece on the TIAA Institute-GFLEC Personal Finance Index. This year, U.S. adults correctly answered just 47% of the index questions, the lowest figure in the survey's 10-year history. The article explores what may be driving the decline, including financial stress and the spread of self-described financial influencers that make it harder to know which advice to trust. The piece examines the persistent gender gap. As Prof. Annamaria Lusardi explains, part of the difference reflects women's lack of confidence rather than a lack of knowledge. Her research has found that when women were not given the option to answer "I don't know," they often chose the correct answer. “Women are half the world,” she said. “If we are not financially literate, we are not doing well.” There is reason for optimism, too. Adults who participated in a financial education program scored significantly higher, and research continues to show that high school financial instruction improves credit scores, lowers loan delinquency, and helps students make better borrowing decisions. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/gUzu7pex