Amex introduces a framework to prevent AI agents from making unauthorized purchases

Key points

• American Express is introducing a framework designed to confirm a customer's purchase intent before an AI agent completes a transaction. The company says the Intent Intelligence Framework could become an industry standard for AI-powered payments.
• The framework starts with a Create Intent API that records the customer's instructions and limits, such as budget and preferred merchant. The customer then verifies their identity and approves the captured intent.
• The agent uses a secure digital payment credential at checkout instead of the customer's card number. Amex says this can help stop errors, such as an agent buying the wrong brand.