Academic collaboration between Akamai and Visa aims to bolster identity verification, user recognition, and security measures within agentic commerce.
In pursuit of this partnership, Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol is being integrated with Akamai’s edge-based behavioral analytics and anti-bot systems. This is anticipated to empower both parties to implement the necessary authentication and fraud control mechanisms that will allow merchants to safely interact with AI agents engaged in commercial activities.
Building Trust in Agentic Commerce
Akamai and Visa highlight the escalating challenges faced by businesses as autonomous AI agents grow more prevalent. These agents are capable of browsing, comparing products, and purchasing items on behalf of consumers. As a result, merchants need to be adept at distinguishing between legitimate automated traffic and potential threats.
To address these issues, the Trusted Agent Protocol provides an agent authentication mechanism alongside Akamai’s real-time behavioral insights and user profiling capabilities. This combined approach enables businesses to monitor AI agent activities in real time before they interact with sensitive systems. Additionally, it facilitates the differentiation between trusted agents and malicious bots, thus unlocking the full potential of agentic commerce.
The significance of verifiable identity is emphasized by Akamai’s 2025 Digital Fraud and Abuse Report, which reports a 300% increase in AI-powered bot traffic over the past year. The Commerce sector alone witnessed more than 25 billion AI bot requests within a two-month period.
Through the Trusted Agent Protocol, every AI agent using a Visa credential can be authenticated and trusted to perform its intended function. This protocol ensures that agents transmit pertinent information to merchants, enabling clear identification of their purpose (whether browsing or paying). Furthermore, Akamai enhances this process by providing real-time behavioral data to detect anomalies.
The collaboration also focuses on:
- Identifying legitimate AI agents and understanding their intent
- Linking the agent back to its associated user securely
- Facilitating secure payment transactions that align with merchant expectations
