ACI Worldwide Executive Philip Bruno to Address the Rise of Agentic Commerce at MIT Sloan Fintech Conference

Key Terms

agentic commerce technical

Agentic commerce is buying and selling driven by autonomous digital agents — such as smart apps, bots, or AI assistants — that act on a person’s or business’s behalf to find, compare, negotiate and execute transactions. Investors should care because these agents can change who controls customer relationships, cut costs and speed up sales like a personal shopper that never sleeps, but they also shift competitive dynamics, data value and regulatory risk for platforms and retailers.

ai agents technical

AI agents are computer programs designed to perform tasks or make decisions automatically, often by learning from data and adapting to new information. They act like virtual assistants or robots that can handle complex activities without human intervention, which can help businesses and individuals save time and improve efficiency. For investors, AI agents matter because they can enhance decision-making and automate processes that influence markets and financial outcomes.

digital wallets financial

A digital wallet is an app or online service that lets people store and use payment details, identification, loyalty cards, or cryptocurrency on a phone or computer—think of it as a virtual version of a physical wallet that can pay for things, prove identity, or hold digital assets. Investors care because widespread use changes how consumers pay, shifts revenue toward companies that control these payment flows, and introduces technology, security and regulatory risks that can affect profits and valuation.

zero‑click purchasing technical

A sales method where a purchase is completed automatically without the buyer clicking a final “buy” button, using stored payment details, subscriptions, voice commands, or connected devices. For investors, it matters because removing the final step can significantly raise sales and repeat revenue—like a vending machine that charges as soon as you pick an item—but it also shifts risks around customer consent, refunds and data privacy that can affect costs, brand trust and regulatory exposure.

interoperable wallet protocols technical

A set of technical rules and standards that let different digital wallets and related services talk to each other and exchange ownership information for digital assets like tokens or credentials. Think of it as a universal charging plug that lets any phone connect to any power outlet: it reduces friction, broadens user access, and helps assets move more easily between platforms. For investors, interoperability can boost adoption, liquidity and value of assets by making them more useful and easier to trade or integrate into other services.

agent‑driven shopping flows technical

Agent-driven shopping flows are buying journeys where an automated or human agent—such as an AI assistant, chatbot, or sales representative—guides a customer through product discovery, comparison and checkout. For investors, these flows matter because they can raise how often shoppers buy, how much they spend, and how loyal customers are, much like a skilled personal shopper who helps a browser become a buyer and boosts a store’s sales efficiency.

Chief strategy and growth officer joins panel with leaders from Synchrony, NVIDIA, PwC, and Airwallex

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ:ACIW), an original innovator in global payments technology, today announced that chief strategy and growth officer Philip Bruno will speak on the “Agentic Commerce: When AI Starts Buying” panel at the MIT Sloan Fintech Conference on Friday, February 20, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The session examines a rapidly emerging frontier: a world where AI agents, not people, initiate discovery, comparison, and purchasing decisions across digital ecosystems. The panel brings together executives from Synchrony, Airwallex, PwC, and NVIDIA to explore how commerce, identity, and payments will evolve as software gains the ability to act autonomously on behalf of consumers.

Bruno will discuss how this shift places payments infrastructure and digital wallets at the centre of agentic commerce, and why systems that enforce trust and not just facilitate transactions will define competitive advantage.

“As AI becomes an active participant in commerce, the winners will be the companies that embed secure, intelligent wallet experiences directly into the merchant journey,” said Bruno. “Agentic systems only work when three things can be guaranteed: permission that can be verified, identity that persists across the entire transaction, and evidence that ensures a fair outcome when something goes wrong.”

The panel will explore:

• What’s working now: Zero‑click purchasing, interoperable wallet protocols, and early agent‑driven shopping flows
• What’s overhyped: Standalone bots, voice‑only interfaces, and isolated consumer agents
• What’s next: The battle for control of the consumer’s primary AI agent and how banks, networks, and merchants can stay visible in an increasingly automated checkout experience

Bruno’s perspective builds on ACI’s recent work showing that while workflow‑based applications may be disrupted by generative AI, deterministic payments infrastructure is strengthened, not replaced, by agentic technologies. AI enhances trust, fraud detection, exception handling, and transaction intelligence, but the underlying rules‑based systems remain essential for compliance, auditability, and safety.

The MIT Sloan Fintech Conference is one of the world’s largest student‑run fintech gatherings, convening hundreds of industry leaders, policymakers, founders, and students.

Bruno joined ACI Worldwide in January 2025 after more than two decades at McKinsey & Company, where he served as partner and co‑lead of the Global Payments Practice. He holds an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

About ACI Worldwide

ACI Worldwide, an original innovator in global payments technology, delivers transformative software solutions that power intelligent payments orchestration in real time so banks, billers and merchants can drive growth, while continuously modernizing their payment infrastructures, simply and securely. With nearly 50 years of trusted payments expertise, we combine our global footprint with a local presence to offer enhanced payment experiences to stay ahead of constantly changing payment challenges and opportunities.

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ACI, ACI Worldwide, ACI Payments, Inc., ACI Pay, Speedpay, and all ACI product/solution names are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACI Worldwide, Inc., or one of its subsidiaries, in the United States, other countries, or both. Other parties’ trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260219555070/en/

Katrin Boettger | Communications and Corporate Affairs Director | katrin.boettger@aciworldwide.com

Pierce Rohrmann I Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs I pierce.rohrmann@aciworldwide.com

Source: ACI Worldwide