Michael Abbott

“As interactions increasingly happen beyond bank-owned channels, banks still need to be present at those critical decision moments, even if they don't own the interface,”

Michael Abbott · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Abbott says banks need to be present at critical decision moments even as interactions move beyond bank-owned channels.

“It's to build the next generation of infrastructure that can authenticate trusted agents, verify permissions, manage identity and support machine-to-machine interactions efficiently,”

Michael Abbott · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Abbott says the answer to agent volume is building next-generation infrastructure to authenticate and manage machine-to-machine interactions.

“Most digital systems today were designed for human interactions. Agent-driven interactions could occur at a completely different scale and frequency. One person might have multiple agents continuously monitoring rates, researching products or evaluating alternatives.”

Michael Abbott · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Abbott notes digital systems were designed for human interactions and agent-driven interactions could occur at a different scale.

“I see it more as an infrastructure challenge than an existential threat,”

Michael Abbott · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Abbott describes the risk of agents overwhelming websites as an infrastructure challenge rather than an existential threat.

“Customers used to interact with their banks a couple of times a month and now with mobile it is nearly daily. AI agents are just the next evolution. The organizations that prepare for that reality will be better positioned than those that try to prevent it,”

Michael Abbott · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Abbott says AI agents are the next evolution after mobile banking and organizations that prepare will be better positioned.

“We've seen this movie before … online banking, mobile banking and digital wallets. Customers tend to gravitate toward experiences that reduce friction and save time. The institutions that win are usually the ones that find a way to participate safely rather than resist the change,”

Michael Abbott · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Abbott compares AI agents to prior shifts like online banking and digital wallets, saying customers gravitate toward lower-friction experiences.

“There are very real concerns around fraud, identity verification, liability and consumer protection. And customers expect their banks to safeguard their assets and data — those responsibilities don't disappear simply because an AI agent is involved,”

Michael Abbott · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Abbott acknowledges real security concerns around AI agents while noting consumer expectations for bank safeguards remain.

“If customers explicitly authorize an AI agent to act on their behalf, that's ultimately an extension of customer choice. The more important question isn't whether institutions can block agents, but whether they can create a secure and trusted way for them to engage,”

Michael Abbott · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Abbott believes businesses blocking AI agents will struggle long-term and should focus on secure engagement instead.

“Our research found that 82% want to approve every AI action and 79% want the ability to immediately pause or stop AI activity. That tells us consumers are looking for convenience, but not at the expense of control,”

Michael Abbott · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Abbott cites Accenture research showing consumers want convenience from AI but also control over agent actions.