Akamai Technologies and Visa collaborate

Akamai Technologies has announced a collaboration with Visa aimed at bolstering security, identity, and user recognition in the burgeoning sphere of agentic commerce. By integrating Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol with Akamai’s behavioural analysis, authentication, and bot protection, the alliance aims to equip merchants with the necessary tools to seamlessly incorporate AI agents within their digital storefronts.

The rise of autonomous AI agents managing online shopping activities introduces fresh challenges for merchants. They must now distinguish these legitimate automated interactions by authenticating the agent and identifying the associated user, ensuring a secure and trusted environment. Failing to develop this trust layer could potentially erode control over personalisation, user security, and overall consumer relations.

The strategic use of the Trusted Agent Protocol's framework, in conjunction with Akamai’s edge-based intelligence, provides merchants with real-time insights into AI agent activities, even before critical systems are engaged. This cohesive strategy encourages merchants to confidently separate trustworthy AI agents from harmful bots, thereby unlocking agentic commerce's potential. With the Akamai Cloud supporting this protocol, merchants can operate efficiently in the dynamic landscape of agentic commerce.

The combination of Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol and Akamai’s threat intelligence addresses the dual-identity challenge in AI commerce by verifying both the agent and the user it represents. This collaboration not only ensures transparency in AI-driven commerce but also empowers industry players to embrace these technologies without escalating risks.

According to recent findings from Akamai, AI-powered bot traffic has surged considerably, emphasising the importance of verifiable identities in commerce. Trusted Agent Protocol directly responds to this need by confirming AI agents using Visa credentials are authentic and function correctly. The protocol adopts widespread web infrastructure standards to allow agents to provide merchants with transaction details, facilitating transparent payment processes with minimal changes to existing infrastructure.

Akamai and Visa's concerted efforts provide merchants the capability to:

• Identify Legitimate AI Agents: Visa’s protocol aids merchants in discerning an agent's intentions while Akamai enriches this identification with robust real-time intelligence.
• Safeguard User-Consumer Linkages: The protocol connects agents to users they represent, with Akamai preserving this identification to prevent fraud effectively.
• Ensure Secure Transactions: By leveraging Trusted Agent Protocols, merchants benefit from secure payment interactions, fortified by Akamai’s comprehensive protective measures.

Today, Akamai is trusted by retailers to manage and secure online commerce. This partnership with Visa reinforces their commitment to providing fast, secure, and optimised shopping experiences worldwide.