The race to tell humans from AI agents
E-commerce may get comfortable with agent transactions before other industries.
The ability to distinguish between human users and AI agents is becoming crucial for e-commerce and online transactions, with proof-of-human technology emerging as a solution. Proof-of-human tools enable a person to vouch for AI agents acting on their behalf, allowing websites to prevent bad bots from accessing their services without blocking all users.
However, this technology also presents new opportunities for online commerce. Sam Altman's startup, World, has recently unveiled tools that enable people to link their proof of humanity to an AI agent. This development could eventually allow online sellers to offer benefits to verified agents, such as discounts and free trials. Tiago Sada, product chief at World, explained that knowing whether an agent originates from a human could enable businesses to be more generous.
In the US, several major banks are currently limiting interactions with third-party agents due to their inability to determine whether customers have authorized these agents.
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