Artificial intelligence is poised to play a central role in the next phase of digital payments growth, according to one of the people closest to the technology's biggest success story.
According to TechCrunch, Dilip Asbe — the Indian payments chief who oversees the country's widely used UPI system — said he expects AI to be heavily involved as digital payments enter their next era of expansion.
Asbe also pointed to a shift in the competitive landscape. According to TechCrunch, he suggested that newer UPI apps could become more competitive if they are built around a viable commercial model — a notable point in a market where many payment apps have grown enormous user bases without a clear path to making money.
The combination of those two ideas hints at how the payments business itself may evolve. AI could change how transactions are processed, secured, or personalized, while a workable commercial model could give fresh entrants a reason and a means to challenge today's dominant apps.
It is worth being precise about what was actually said. The source does not provide specific figures, product names, timelines, or technical details about how AI would be applied. Asbe's remarks, as reported, describe a direction of travel rather than a concrete roadmap.
Why it matters: UPI handles an enormous share of everyday payments for hundreds of millions of people, so signals from its leadership about where AI and competition are heading offer an early read on how the world's busiest digital payment system could change next.