The International Monetary Fund has published an IMF Note examining how “agentic” artificial intelligence, systems that can act autonomously on users’ behalf, could reshape payment systems by shifting transactions from human-initiated instructions to agent-mediated decisions. The analysis focuses on implications for authorization, liquidity, settlement, compliance, and resilience, and highlights a core tension between probabilistic AI behaviour and the deterministic requirements of payment infrastructures. Using a three-layer framework of intent, authorization, and settlement, it identifies areas where agentic capabilities could add value while preserving control and finality, and reviews key risks including traceability and opacity, systemic effects, cybersecurity, and legal uncertainty. The note concludes that outcomes will depend as much on institutional design and governance as on the technology itself.
International Monetary Fund 2026-04-24
International Monetary Fund publishes note on how agentic AI could change payment authorization and settlement
The International Monetary Fund has published a note on how “agentic” artificial intelligence, which can act autonomously on users’ behalf, could reshape payment systems by shifting transactions to agent-mediated decisions. Using a three-layer framework of intent, authorization, and settlement, it assesses potential benefits and risks for authorization, liquidity, settlement, compliance, and resilience, highlighting tensions between probabilistic AI behaviour and deterministic payment infrastructure requirements, and risks around traceability, opacity, systemic effects, cybersecurity, and legal uncertainty.