Imagine telling an artificial intelligence assistant, “Find me the best pair of shoes under KSh 5,000,” and instead of simply showing you options, it searches different stores, compares prices, chooses the product and completes the purchase for you.
That future is no longer just an idea.
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond answering questions and making recommendations. AI agents are increasingly being designed to take action on behalf of users, including shopping, booking services and eventually making financial transactions.
For consumers, this could make managing money faster and more convenient. But it also raises an important question: How much control should we give AI over our money?
From AI Advice to AI Action
Traditional AI tools have mainly helped people understand information. You could ask an AI tool to create a budget, explain a loan or compare investment options.
AI agents are different because they can potentially take the next step.
Recent developments show where this technology is heading. Meta recently launched Muse, an AI assistant designed to perform tasks across different applications, including shopping and payments. Payment companies such as Visa and Mastercard are also working on systems that can identify and authenticate AI agents making purchases on behalf of consumers.
In India, payment authorities are developing a system to verify AI agents that conduct transactions through UPI, initially focusing on smaller payments such as groceries.
The message is clear: AI may soon move from helping us make financial decisions to actually carrying out some of them.
Kenya Is Already Using AI for Shopping
This development is particularly interesting for Kenyan consumers.
A 2026 Visa study found that 89% of consumers in Kenya have already used AI to assist with shopping, while 91% said AI-powered tools make online shopping faster and easier.
But there is an important difference between using AI for advice and allowing it to make the final payment.
Only 29% of Kenyan consumers said they trust AI agents to complete checkout on their behalf.
That gap tells us something important.
People may be comfortable asking AI to find a cheaper phone or compare products, but handing over the final financial decision is a much bigger step.
The Convenience Is Real
There are genuine benefits to allowing AI to assist with financial activities.
An AI agent could compare prices across several websites instead of requiring you to visit each one. It could remind you about bills, identify subscriptions you rarely use or alert you when your spending is unusually high.
Imagine receiving a message saying:
“You normally spend KSh 2,000 on this service, but the renewal price has increased to KSh 3,500. Would you like me to look for alternatives?”
That kind of assistance could save both time and money.
AI could also make financial information easier to understand. Instead of reading complicated financial documents, consumers could ask an AI system to explain fees, interest rates or payment terms in simple language.
The OECD has noted that AI can improve access to financial information, personalization and decision-making, although the technology also creates risks involving privacy, bias and inaccurate information.
But Convenience Comes With Risks
The biggest danger is giving technology too much authority.
AI systems can make mistakes. They can misunderstand instructions, rely on incorrect information or make decisions based on incomplete data.
Imagine an AI agent interpreting “buy the cheapest option” literally and selecting a product that is cheaper but poor quality.
The consequences become more serious when money is involved.
A wrong recommendation is one thing. An unauthorized payment or an expensive purchase is another.
There are also privacy concerns. For an AI agent to manage shopping or financial activities effectively, it may need access to information about your preferences, purchases, accounts and spending habits.
Cybersecurity is another concern. If criminals manage to manipulate an AI agent or gain access to the systems connected to it, the consequences could extend beyond a simple hacked account.
The International Monetary Fund has highlighted concerns around cybersecurity, traceability, opacity and legal uncertainty as AI agents become more involved in payments.
How Should Consumers Protect Themselves?
AI can become a useful financial assistant without becoming the person—or system—in charge of your money.
First, set clear limits. If an AI service allows spending limits, use them. An assistant that can purchase a KSh 500 item should not automatically have permission to spend KSh 50,000.
Second, review transactions. Automation should not mean ignoring your bank or mobile-money statements.
Third, protect sensitive information. Avoid giving AI systems unnecessary access to passwords, PINs, one-time passwords or other highly sensitive financial credentials.
Fourth, question recommendations. AI can help you compare options, but you should still understand why you are making a financial decision.
Finally, keep human judgment in the process. The more important the financial decision, the more carefully you should review it before allowing technology to act.
The Future of Money May Be Delegated
The next stage of digital finance may not simply be about mobile apps becoming smarter. It could be about people delegating more financial tasks to intelligent systems.
Instead of searching, comparing and purchasing everything ourselves, we may increasingly tell AI what we want and let it handle the process.
That could make everyday financial management easier. But it also means financial literacy will become even more important.
Knowing how to use AI will not be enough. Consumers will also need to understand when to trust it, when to question it and when to take control themselves.
AI may eventually become capable of spending money on our behalf.
The real question is not whether technology can do it.
It is whether we are financially prepared to let it.
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