American Express is working on a way to make sure an AI purchase follows what the customer actually agreed to. That interests me because I’d like these tools to handle more of the errands that eat up a day.
Amex calls it Intent Intelligence. In plain language, the system records what you want to buy and the limits you’ve set, such as the amount, the store and when the permission expires. You confirm those instructions and authenticate them before the agent uses them to arrange payment.
That approval gets a record and a digital token that can be used to obtain a payment credential. Amex’s design also includes ways to update or cancel the instructions. Its developer kit is still being developed in parts, so this is something being built into shopping services, rather than a feature everyone can turn on today.
Say I ask an agent to order office supplies for no more than $150. I’d want that to include shipping and tax. If something’s sold out, can it substitute another brand? If the total goes over, it should come back to me. Those details need to be settled before the order goes through, with the payment system checking the limits.
I don’t want to sit beside an agent approving every click. I’d like to give it a clear job and get on with mine. Being able to see exactly what I authorized, change my mind and stop a purchase would make that a lot more useful.