Visa, a global leader in digital payments, is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and data to reshape how consumers, businesses and economies interact with payments.
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in San Francisco, Visa now operates in over 200 countries, connecting consumers, merchants, financial institutions and governments. At the center of its AI and data transformation is Chief Data Officer Andres Vives, who joined the company in July 2024 after leading data and analytics at TD Bank and Capital One.
“As CDO, my role is to creatively put our data to work—for clients and internal teams—while protecting the trust our brand is built on,” Vives said. He noted that one Visa risk model alone helped prevent $40 billion in fraud in a single year.
Visa has invested $3.5 billion in data and AI infrastructure over the past decade. Processing more than 300 billion transactions annually, the company is using that data to drive fraud prevention, improve user experiences, and power new technologies like generative AI tools and agent-based commerce.
“Visa has been data-driven from day one,” Vives said. “Without data, there is no AI.”
Visa was an early pioneer in using AI for payments security, deploying its first AI models over 30 years ago. Today, the company is making AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude available to employees to enhance productivity and decision-making. “We’re democratizing data and AI across the company,” said Vives.
One standout innovation is Visa’s Intelligent Commerce initiative, launched with partners including OpenAI, IBM, Microsoft, and Stripe. It allows AI agents to not only help consumers discover products—but also transact on their behalf.
Features include:
- AI-ready cards: Tokenized credentials that let trusted agents pay securely.
- AI-powered personalization: Consumer insights help tailor recommendations, with consent.
- Secure AI payments: Users can set spending limits and approval rules for transactions.
“This isn’t just another product,” said Vives. “It’s an ecosystem-wide effort to enable safe, AI-driven commerce.”
Visa’s Data Tokens also help merchants use AI-generated insights without compromising personal data. “We’re doing this transparently, with proper consent,” Vives added.
Across its platform, Visa currently runs more than 300 AI models, spanning fraud detection, cybersecurity, and operational efficiency. Internally, it is also using generative AI to support software development, speed product delivery, and improve employee output.
“Data and AI are part of Visa’s DNA,” said Vives. “Our founder envisioned money as just data moving at the speed of light. That’s still true today.”
Looking ahead, Vives said Visa is committed to staying at the forefront of AI innovation. “Our goal is to ensure everyone across Visa can harness the power of data and AI responsibly,” he said. “We win when we become the most trusted partner in the ecosystem.”
