HSBC and Ant Digital pilot AI-agent payments using tokenized deposits

Financial institutions are increasingly exploring the integration of artificial intelligence and tokenization to modernize payment infrastructures. HSBC and Ant Digital Technologies recently conducted a successful pilot testing an AI-agent payment workflow. This demonstration utilized HSBC’s Tokenised Deposit Service and Ant Digital’s Anvita Flow network to facilitate real-time settlement on the Jovay Testnet, a layer-2 blockchain environment.

The pilot focused on micropayments, where a simulated AI agent selected a digital service and completed a transaction without manual intervention. While the test included real-time risk checks and settlement, both companies emphasized that this was a technical verification rather than a live commercial product.

In a related industry development, the Asian Bankers Association, in collaboration with Temenos and Thunes, hosted a webinar discussing the shift toward tokenized money and AI. Experts noted that tokenized money, represented as digital currency on a blockchain, offers advantages such as programmable money, instant settlement, and increased transparency, despite current challenges regarding liquidity and conversion fees.