Now Visa Has Agents

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5 Tools to Automate

1. Subscription Day: Track your paid subscriptions at Menu Bar

2. SpicyGen: Turn AI Images into Creative Videos

3. Heuristica: Visual Learning and Research Using Concept Maps & Mind Maps

4. Supaboard AI: Business Intelligence provided by AI data analysts

5. Vapi: Voice AI agents for Developers

TODAY IN AI
Swipe, Chat, Buy

In a world where chatbots are shopping companions and AI plans your birthday party wardrobe, Visa and Mastercard have stepped into the future of consumerism: AI-powered shopping agents.

Visa unveiled “Intelligent Commerce,” where AI doesn’t just recommend—it buys for you. Powered by partnerships with OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic, and more, Visa’s agents shop based on your preferences and budget. You set the limits, AI does the clicking. Hot on its heels, Mastercard launched “Agent Pay.” Picture this: you're chatting with an AI about your party, and it curates outfits based on your vibe, weather, and venue—then it handles the payment using your Mastercard credentials. Simple, stylish, and sent.

Not to be left behind, PayPal and Amazon are also testing AI shopping tools, turning your browser into a concierge. OpenAI and Perplexity are in the race too, redefining search as purchase-ready.

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Anthropic's Claude now connects with apps like Zapier, Atlassian & PayPal, supercharging productivity through new Integrations. Its new Advanced Research digs deeper across the web, tools, and local files to deliver richer, cited reports — in minutes.

Google's latest Gemini AI model performs worse than its predecessor on key safety tests, violating more guidelines in both text and image prompts. Why? It follows instructions too well even the risky ones — sparking fresh concerns over AI's balance between helpfulness and harm.

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TECH SYNC
Streaming together, paying less

YouTube is cozying up to couples and roommates with a new two-person Premium plan, now being tested in India, France, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Think of it as YouTube’s version of Spotify Duo — all the ad-free perks, background play, and downloads for less than the full family plan, as long as you share the same roof.

Why now? After price hikes nudged some subscribers away, this discounted offer could lure them back while quietly padding YouTube’s subscription numbers. It’s part of a broader push by the platform to remix its premium lineup, following its “Premium Lite” rollout earlier this year. No word yet on a global rollout, but this test might just hit the sweet spot between solo streaming and family sharing.

Would you split a subscription like this?

MORE TO KNOW

Apple may split the iPhone 18 launch in 2026 — Pro models dropping in fall, cheaper versions delayed to spring 2027. Also on the radar: a foldable iPhone and Indian production to sidestep China and tariffs.

Epic Games is using its Sweden developer account to bring Fortnite back to the US App Store after a key court win over Apple. The Star Wars-themed return could happen as early as next week — if Apple doesn’t throw a wrench in it.