Ant Group CEO: The ChatGPT Moment for AI Agents Is Here

At the 2026 Inclusion · Bund Conference in Shanghai, Ant Group CEO Han Xinyi made a striking declaration: intelligent agent commerce has hit its "ChatGPT moment." The shift is clear. AI agents are moving from clever demos to real transactions, becoming commercial entry points that understand what users want, connect with actual supply, and close the deal.

From Questions to Transactions

Think about how you use AI today. You ask for a recipe, a summary, a bit of code. But something bigger is happening. Since AI Alipay's "Abao" entered public beta this June, users have been handing over real-life tasks, not just queries. "Budget of 200 yuan, five people eating, where is it affordable and delicious?" Or "Can you design a short hairdo based on my face shape?" Or "Help plan a trip to Shaoxing and buy a high-speed rail ticket."

These aren't idle questions. They carry budget, location, preference, time, trust, and fulfillment expectations. They're early expressions of transaction intent. And that changes everything.

The Starting Point of Commerce Is Shifting

Han points out that commerce used to start with standardized products and fixed pages, relying on ads, exposure, and traffic. In the agent era, commerce starts with user intent. Supply gets organized dynamically around what people actually want to achieve. Merchants won't just compete for traffic and positioning. They'll compete to be the most trusted, most matching, most reliable service provider that user agents can understand and call upon.

Back in August, Han predicted agent commerce would explode within 6–12 months. The data is already backing him up. According to Zhu Lin, General Manager of Ant Group's AI Payment, more natural new interactive payments could exceed 50% of transactions in five years, with diversified smart device payments growing tenfold.

But scaling agent commerce means answering three fundamental questions: How can services be understood and called by agents? Can agents help users complete transactions? And if a transaction happens, who authorizes it, who manages risk, who is responsible?

Payment as a Trusted Commitment Engine

When agents act, they need to answer: Who does the agent represent? What's the authorization boundary? Is the transaction safe? How are funds protected? Who's liable if things go wrong?

That's why agent commerce needs new "highway infrastructure": trustworthy identity for agents, clear authorization, payment capability, risk control, transaction evidence, fulfillment proof, and after-sales dispute resolution. In traditional commerce, payment happens at the end. In agent commerce, payment runs through the entire process. From the moment a user expresses a need, the authorized amount, executable scope, risk assessment, and fulfillment responsibility must be managed clearly.

Han says AI payment isn't just about letting agents spend money or setting up automatic deductions. It's a trusted commitment engine. It makes the whole process authorized, manageable, controllable, and traceable. Users feel confident delegating. Merchants feel confident joining. Platforms and service providers build a sustainable ecosystem together.

Building the Ecosystem

Alipay is putting money behind the vision. The company announced a 10 million yuan development fund for life intelligent agent developers, with the highest annual single reward reaching 1 million yuan.

Han is clear that agent commerce isn't a solo act. Alipay hopes to work with merchants, service providers, and partners to make supply more understandable, callable, and fulfillable, turning industry experience into reusable intelligent capabilities.

Key Points

Agents are moving from demos to deals. AI agents now handle real transactions, not just Q&A.
User intent is the new starting point. Commerce is shifting from product-first to intent-first.
Payment becomes a trust engine. AI payment ensures authorization, risk control, and traceability throughout the transaction.
Alipay bets big. A 10 million yuan fund aims to fuel agent developers and ecosystem growth.
The window is short. Han predicts an explosion in 6–12 months.

Ant Group CEO: The ChatGPT Moment for AI Agents Is Here