More than half of surveyed consumers are willing to let artificial intelligence software apply for credit on their behalf. Experian, a data and technology company, commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate consumer sentiment regarding automated financial transactions. The resulting report, AI in Risk The Rise of Agentic Commerce, gathered responses from 6,247 credit-active, digitally literate consumers in July 2026. The study covered 13 markets across the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.
The findings indicate a shift in how individuals use software for financial tasks. According to the data, 54% of respondents are comfortable with AI agents executing credit applications for them. Survey participants cited several operational benefits to automation. The results show 85% believe automated agents can compare more options than manual research permits, while 84% expect the software to find better rates and save money. Another 83% expect AI tools to catch hidden fees and specific contract terms.
"Consumers are already changing the way they engage with financial services," said Mariana Pinheiro, Chief Executive Officer, Experian EMEA & Asia Pacific. "They are not just experimenting with AI anymore; they are beginning to trust it with more meaningful parts of their financial lives. Our research shows that 82% of the surveyed respondents already trust LLMs to compare loans across providers. For banks and lenders, the question is no longer whether AI will influence the next step of that journey, but how to prepare for it while continuing to earn and protect consumer trust. What began as using LLMs to better understand financial products is already moving towards asking AI agents to help them navigate complex financial journeys."
The research highlighted varying thresholds for software autonomy. While 81% of respondents see value in AI reducing decision fatigue by handling research and routine tasks, few want to surrender total control. Just 5% of participants are comfortable granting an AI agent full autonomy over credit applications. Another 23% approve of agents acting on their own when specific pre-agreed rules are met. Brand familiarity influences these adoption rates, as 75% reported higher comfort levels using AI systems connected to financial institutions they already know and trust.
This transition toward automated commerce requires banks and lenders to update their processing infrastructure. Financial institutions must implement identity verification and consent management protocols to handle inbound requests generated by consumer-side AI agents. To support these evolving transaction models, Experian offers Agent Trust, a software capability designed to establish secure interactions among consumers, automated agents, and corporate lending platforms.
