Fiserv Teams With Microsoft to Expand AI Use

Payments/financial services technology provider Fiserv has launched an AI-focused partnership with Microsoft.

This new collaboration is designed to further embed artificial intelligence (AI) into Fiserv’s development platforms, while giving its workers greater access to the technology, the company said in a Thursday (Jan. 8) news release.

“By embedding AI inside our workforce and development platforms, we’re not simply improving how we operate; we’re transforming how Fiserv delivers the next generation of innovation for our clients,” said Guy Chiarello, Fiserv’s vice chairman.

“This collaboration with Microsoft enables us to bring intelligent capabilities to market with greater speed and scale, unlocking smarter, more differentiated solutions that help our clients grow, compete, and lead in today’s rapidly evolving fintech and payments landscape.”

According to the release, Fiserv will give its employees access to Microsoft’s 365 Copilot AI tool, while also working with the tech giant to expand its use of the Foundry AI platform. These efforts are designed to increase employee productivity, streamline processes and open the door to new revenue opportunities, the company added.

The partnership builds on Fiserv’s existing use of Microsoft Foundry and GitHub Copilot, the release said. Fiserv said it has processed more than 100 billion tokens in Foundry, while GitHub Copilot has been employed to more than 8,000 software engineers across Fiserv.

In other AI news, PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster wrote Thursday about the way artificial intelligence “smart agents” are replacing the super app model, built around a single, vertically integrated digital front door centered around and governed by a single platform.

This model, she wrote, centralized consumer choice inside a platform controlled and monetized by the operator, with merchants competing and paying for placement inside that environment.

“Smart Agents reverse that dynamic,” Webster wrote. “They take the work of searching, comparing, and deciding out of the consumer’s hands and give it to software instructed to act in the consumer’s interest. That changes everything: how retailers compete, how platforms monetize, and how buying decisions are made.”

She argued that publishers are already making the shift, with those who view AI and agents as new distribution layers and optimize content for them discovering new paths to growth and those who resist running the risk of being bypassed.

“The same dynamic will play out in commerce,” Webster wrote, adding that there are early signs consumers are on board.

Research from PYMNTS Intelligence research has found that 57% of U.S. consumers have used AI platforms for personal tasks, a figure that climbs higher among younger and higher-income Americans.