Amex's Intent Intelligence framework targets AI agent purchases

American Express first introduced Intent Intelligence in April as one of five services in its Agentic Commerce Experiences developer kit. The Oct. 13 publication makes the technical framework available for other companies to build on, which the company said is meant to advance a common industry approach for intent in agentic commerce rather than add new capabilities.

The framework arrives as payment companies and technology firms build competing tools for agentic commerce. Visa and Mastercard each launched offerings in April 2025 to connect AI agents to their payment networks, while OpenAI and Stripe co-developed the Agentic Commerce Protocol and Google introduced its Agent Payments Protocol and, in January, a Universal Commerce Protocol with Shopify and other partners. Against that backdrop, American Express is positioning its framework as sharing a shopper's authorized purchase intent with the issuer earlier in the transaction lifecycle — before an agent executes a purchase — which it says differs from current implementations.

Consumer caution remains a factor. NMI's August survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found 58% worried an AI shopping agent could buy the wrong item, size, color or brand, and 60% were concerned an agent could spend more than intended. When something goes wrong, 34% said they would blame a retailer, 24% the payment provider and 62% the AI provider, suggesting responsibility for agent errors is likely to be contested among the parties involved.