Core Viewpoint - The introduction of the ACT (Agentic Commerce Trust Protocol) by Alipay and its partners aims to address concerns regarding AI operations in commercial transactions, ensuring user authorization, transaction security, and seamless service experience across devices and platforms [1][3]. Group 1: ACT Protocol Overview - The ACT protocol is China's first open technical framework designed for agent commercial needs, facilitating collaboration between AI and e-commerce, delivery, and other service platforms [1]. - The protocol establishes four core infrastructure standards: "Delegated Authorization Domain," "Commercial Interaction Domain," "Payment Service Domain," and "Trust Service Domain," ensuring traceability and verification of AI operations [3][6]. Group 2: User Experience and Security - Under the ACT protocol, AI only executes order placement, while payment authorization remains under consumer control, significantly reducing time costs while ensuring fund security [6]. - The protocol supports two payment modes: Instant Payment, where users authorize payments in real-time during AI interactions, and Delegated Authorization, allowing users to set conditions for automated transactions even when offline [6]. Group 3: Industry Implications - The ACT protocol is compatible with existing commercial and payment systems, adhering to principles of compatibility, privacy, and openness, and will continue to evolve with advancements in AI technology [6]. - Alipay is actively promoting the inclusion of more payment service providers, merchants, platforms, AI developers, and smart terminal manufacturers to enhance the protocol and build a new ecosystem of AI commercial trust [6][7].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the emergence of a new commercial paradigm driven by AI, focusing on the establishment of foundational protocols and industry standards for secure and trustworthy AI-driven transactions [2][10]. Group 1: ACT Protocol Overview - The ACT (Agentic Commerce Trust Protocols) was launched by Alipay on January 16, marking China's first open protocol aimed at agent commercial needs, facilitating cross-platform and cross-terminal AI collaboration [2][3]. - The ACT protocol addresses key issues such as user authorization for AI operations, security in financial transactions, and maintaining a seamless service experience across devices [5][11]. - The protocol includes four core infrastructure standards: delegated authorization domain, commercial interaction domain, payment service domain, and trust service domain, ensuring traceability and verification of AI operations [5][12]. Group 2: Payment Models and Use Cases - The ACT protocol supports two payment modes: instant payment, where users authorize transactions in real-time, and delegated authorization, allowing users to set conditions for automated transactions [9]. - It is applicable in various scenarios such as AI-assisted ordering, purchasing, and enterprise automation procurement, enhancing efficiency and user experience [9][12]. Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Other tech giants like OpenAI and Google are also developing their own AI commercial protocols, indicating a competitive race to establish standards for AI-driven commerce [10][12]. - OpenAI has partnered with PayPal to integrate payment and risk management capabilities into ChatGPT, while Google has launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) with major retail players [9][10]. Group 4: Importance of Standardization - The emergence of protocols like ACT and UCP is essential for creating a universal "transaction infrastructure" for the AI commercial world, enabling seamless interaction among AI, merchants, and payment institutions [11][12]. - Without standardized protocols, the AI ecosystem faces significant barriers to innovation and user experience due to fragmented systems requiring complex API integrations [11][12].

Core Insights - The article discusses the emergence of a new commercial paradigm driven by AI, focusing on the establishment of foundational protocols and industry standards for secure and trustworthy AI-driven transactions [1][4][10] - Major tech players like OpenAI, Google, and Alipay are competing to create these standards, marking a shift from algorithmic competition to the construction of future commercial ecosystems [1][8] Group 1: ACT Protocol Overview - Alipay launched the ACT (Agentic Commerce Trust Protocols) on January 16, aimed at facilitating safe and efficient cross-intelligent agent collaboration in e-commerce and delivery scenarios [2][4] - The ACT protocol is designed to address key issues such as user authorization for AI operations, security in financial transactions, and maintaining service continuity across devices and applications [4][7] - The protocol includes four core infrastructure standards: Delegated Authorization Domain, Commercial Interaction Domain, Payment Service Domain, and Trust Service Domain, ensuring traceability and verification of AI operations [4][7] Group 2: Payment Models and Compatibility - The ACT protocol supports two payment models: Instant Payment, where users authorize payments in real-time during AI interactions, and Delegated Authorization, allowing users to set conditions for automated transactions [7][8] - The protocol adheres to principles of compatibility, privacy, and openness, ensuring it can adapt to existing commercial and payment systems while evolving with AI technology [7][10] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Other tech giants are also developing their own AI commercial protocols, such as OpenAI's partnership with PayPal and Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) with major retailers [8][9] - The competition among these protocols indicates a shift in focus from language model capabilities to the practical implementation of AI in commercial settings [8][9] Group 4: Importance of Standardization - The establishment of protocols like ACT and UCP is crucial for creating a unified "transaction infrastructure" for the AI commercial world, enabling seamless interactions among AI, merchants, and payment institutions [9][10] - Without common standards, the AI ecosystem faces significant barriers to innovation and user experience due to the complexity of point-to-point API integrations [9][10]