Ant Group's Han Xinyi: The Agent Era Is Here

At the 2026 Inclusion·Bund Conference, Ant Group CEO Han Xinyi dropped a bombshell: the "ChatGPT moment" for intelligent agents has arrived. But this isn't about clever chatbots—it's about agents that can actually do things. Think booking a flight, buying groceries, or signing a contract. They're becoming the new front door to commerce.

From Chat to Action

Remember when ChatGPT first showed us what natural language could do? That was just the warm-up. Now, users are starting to hand over real-life tasks to AI agents. This shift is rewriting the rules of business. Instead of browsing standardized product pages, people will simply state their intent—and their agent will find the best match.

That means merchants won't compete for clicks and eyeballs anymore. They'll compete to be the most trustworthy, most capable service provider that an agent can call upon. As Zhu Lin, General Manager of AI Payment at Ant Group, puts it: within five years, more than half of all payments could be made through these new, natural interactions. And smart device payments? They're poised for a tenfold jump.

Three Hurdles to Clear

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. For agent commerce to truly take off, the industry has to tackle three tough questions:

Can services be understood and called by agents? It's not just about having an API—it's about making your service legible to a machine.
Can agents actually complete transactions? Users need to trust that the agent will follow through.
Who's responsible when something goes wrong? Authorization, risk management, fund security, fraud—these aren't minor details. They're the foundation.

Han Xinyi argues that AI payment isn't just about paying on behalf of users or automatic deductions. It's a "trusted commitment engine." The entire process must be authorized, manageable, controllable, and traceable. Only then will users feel confident enough to delegate, and merchants bold enough to connect.

Alipay's Big Bet

To jumpstart this ecosystem, Alipay announced a 10 million yuan development fund for life intelligent agent developers, with individual rewards up to 1 million yuan per year. It's a clear signal: the company is putting real money behind the vision.

As agents start handling payments and transactions, the commercial landscape could shift dramatically. The question isn't if this will happen—it's who will be ready when it does.

Key Points

Han Xinyi declares the "ChatGPT moment" for intelligent agents has arrived, marking a shift from conversation to real transactions.
Agent commerce flips the traditional model: user intent becomes the starting point, not product pages or ads.
Three challenges must be solved: service discoverability, transaction completion, and clear responsibility frameworks.
AI payment is positioned as a "trusted commitment engine" to ensure secure, traceable transactions.
Alipay launches a 10 million yuan fund to support developers building life intelligent agents.

Ant Group's Han Xinyi: The Agent Era Is Here