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Rakuten Survey: 54.3% of Gen Z Use Artificial Intelligence While Shopping

A new study conducted by Rakuten revealed that Gen Z is increasingly using generative artificial intelligence tools in the process of purchasing products and services. According to the survey, 54.3% of young consumers use generative artificial intelligence before shopping or during the purchasing process. The findings provide up-to-date data on the use of artificial intelligence in e-commerce and retail shopping experiences.

Gen Z’s AI Usage Rate Stands Out in Rakuten Survey

The survey, which included 637 “Rakuten Gakuwari” users aged 15-25 across Japan, was conducted between July 1 and August 3, 2026. A total of 38% of participants reported using generative artificial intelligence almost every day. In terms of usage purposes, education and learning ranked first at 62.6%, followed by searching for information about hobbies at 47% and getting recommendations at 30.9%.

Among those who use artificial intelligence in e-commerce shopping, 3.6% stated that they always use the technology, 13.2% use it frequently, and 37.5% use it occasionally. A total of 44.4% of users use AI tools to narrow down the products they want to compare, 27.8% use them to find the product or service they want to purchase, and 11.3% use them while conducting research directly on an e-commerce website.

Search Engines Rank First in Terms of Trust

Despite the increasing use of artificial intelligence, search engines remained the most trusted source of information in the shopping process, at 42.1%. Rakuten’s research showed that consumers use AI tools particularly to filter product options and make the comparison process easier.

In the survey, the proportion of respondents who had a positive attitude toward companies using AI in their services was measured at 31.7%. The proportion of respondents who described these companies as “forward-thinking” was 43.6%, while 26.7% considered them “open to innovation” and 17.4% viewed them as suitable for their generation. Meanwhile, the proportion of respondents who had a positive attitude toward Rakuten improving its services through the use of generative artificial intelligence reached 40.8%.

AI-Powered Product Discovery in E-Commerce

Since December 2025, Rakuten has been offering an agentic AI-based shopping assistant within the Rakuten Ichiba shopping app. Users can receive recommendations from approximately 500 million products by providing information such as budget, purchase purpose, and usage scenario through text, voice, or images. In addition to product information and price comparisons, the system can also make use of up-to-date data from the web.

A total of 30.6% of survey participants reported using generative artificial intelligence to gather product information before using the company’s e-commerce services. Rakuten AI is among the tools developed to provide product discovery and personalized shopping experiences by engaging in dialogue with users throughout this process.

Anthropic Enables Retailers to Build Their Own Shopping Agents

Anthropic has released a new “commerce agent blueprint” that enables retailers, marketplaces, and e-commerce platforms to develop their own AI-powered commerce agents on top of Claude models. The ready-made architecture offers two core applications: a shopping agent for consumers and a merchant agent that supports business operations. The company states that engineering teams can deploy the systems within a few days thanks to the required tools, workflow patterns, and safety measures.

Anthropic Brings the Shopping Agent to E-Commerce Websites

The customer-focused AI agent operates within the retailer’s app or website. Users can describe their needs in natural language; the system can find products based on the store’s product catalog, customer preferences, and past orders, compare options, and create a shopping cart. The agent can also answer customer service questions related to order tracking, returns, exchanges, and refund policies within the same conversation.

Consumer data regarding the use of artificial intelligence in retail stands out. In a survey conducted by PSE Consulting with 4,250 consumers in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and Germany, 74% of respondents preferred an independent AI assistant for shopping, while only 10% preferred an artificial intelligence solution tied to a single retailer or delivery platform. In a separate study, 63% of consumers were reported to be uncomfortable with AI using their browsing and purchase history to generate recommendations.

Merchant Agent Can Monitor Inventory, Pricing, and Campaigns

The second system developed by Anthropic is positioned as a “merchant agent” for employees managing e-commerce operations. The system can analyze sales performance, monitor inventory levels, prepare pricing and promotion recommendations, and create marketing campaigns using company data. According to data released by the company, retailers using Claude-based shopping agents saw basket sizes increase by up to 35%, while the likelihood of completing a purchase rose by up to 60%.

Human Approval and Safety Controls Remain in Place

Anthropic requires human approval before changes recommended by the merchant agent are implemented. The system also includes controls designed to ensure that pricing and product information remain consistent with actual catalog data and to prevent manipulative upselling practices.

Developers can use the solution through the Claude API, Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Foundry, or Google Cloud Vertex AI. Anthropic is also working with Accenture, Mastercard, and Visa, while Shopify is developing a sample store based on the new architecture; Priceline is using Claude in the latest version of its AI travel assistant, Penny. The blueprint’s code, live demos, and technical documentation are available on GitHub.

Global Access to Anthropic’s Advanced AI Models Suspended Following Amazon’s Warning

Finland to Host €387.8 Million LUMI-AI Supercomputer Investment

Finland is set to become home to a €387.8 million artificial intelligence supercomputer as Europe accelerates efforts to strengthen its AI and high-performance computing infrastructure.

Europe is moving forward with a major AI infrastructure investment in Finland as the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking has signed a contract with French technology company Bull to deliver the new LUMI-AI supercomputer.

The €387.8 million project is designed to significantly expand Europe’s computing capacity for artificial intelligence, scientific research and industrial applications, supporting the region’s efforts to compete with the United States and China in advanced technologies.

Six European Countries to Finance the Project

The investment will be financed jointly by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and a six-country consortium comprising Finland, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Norway and Poland.

Around half of the project’s funding will come from EuroHPC, while the remaining financing will be provided by the participating countries. The system will be owned by EuroHPC, with Finland’s public technology center CSC responsible for its operation.

LUMI-AI will be installed at CSC’s data center in Kajaani, alongside the existing LUMI supercomputer. The new system is expected to become operational in the second half of 2027.

AI Computing Capacity to Increase Tenfold

LUMI-AI will build on the capabilities of the existing LUMI system, one of Europe’s leading supercomputers.

The new infrastructure is expected to increase AI-focused computing capacity by approximately 10 times, while traditional high-performance computing capacity is projected to nearly double.

The system will use BullSequana XH3500 architecture, AMD Instinct MI430X accelerators and sixth-generation AMD EPYC processors. IBM will provide storage infrastructure, while Nokia will contribute networking technology.

The infrastructure will also provide API access, allowing companies and startups to integrate LUMI-AI’s computing resources into their own software and development environments.

Supporting Businesses, Startups and Research

LUMI-AI is intended to serve more than academic research. Companies, startups and SMEs will be able to use the infrastructure for AI development and computationally intensive applications.

Potential use cases include healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, automotive technologies, climate modelling, advanced materials and large language models.

The broader LUMI AI Factory ecosystem is designed to bring together computing resources, data and expertise, enabling companies and researchers to develop, test and scale AI solutions.

Sustainability Built Into the Infrastructure

Sustainability is another key component of the project.

LUMI-AI will be powered by renewable electricity and use liquid cooling technology to improve energy efficiency. Heat generated by the supercomputer will also be recovered and supplied to Kajaani’s district heating network, allowing waste heat from computing operations to contribute to local heating.

The new system is also expected to work alongside the LUMI-IQ quantum computing platform, creating an ecosystem that combines conventional high-performance computing, AI and quantum technologies.

Strengthening Europe’s AI Infrastructure

The LUMI-AI investment forms part of Europe’s broader strategy to expand its AI infrastructure and reduce dependence on computing capacity outside the region.

The EuroHPC AI Factories programme is developing a network of AI-focused computing facilities across Europe. The growing infrastructure is intended to provide researchers, startups and businesses with access to the computing power required to develop next-generation AI applications.

For Finland, the investment further strengthens Kajaani’s position as a European hub for high-performance computing and AI innovation.

With LUMI-AI expected to enter operation in 2027, the project could significantly expand Europe’s capacity to train advanced AI models, conduct large-scale scientific simulations and support businesses developing computationally intensive technologies.

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Raff Raises $1.7 Million to Scale Retail Technology Across the GCC

Raff, the Saudi-based platform is helping consumer brands expand from online into physical retail by digitizing inventory, distribution, fulfillment and payments.

Raff retail technology is gaining momentum in the Gulf after the Saudi Arabia-based inventory management platform raised $1.7 million in pre-seed funding.

The round was led by Vision Ventures, with participation from 500 Global, Palm VC, Oqal Group and Salman Butt, co-founder of Salla.

The investment will support Raff’s expansion across the Gulf Cooperation Council, while also accelerating product development and the company’s artificial intelligence capabilities.

Helping Brands Move Into Physical Retail

Founded in 2024, Raff operates an end-to-end platform designed for consumer brands expanding into physical retail.

Its technology covers several parts of the retail operating model, including distribution, commercial operations, inventory management, order fulfilment and payments.

The platform also integrates with regional point-of-sale and accounting software, helping retailers automate workflows as their vendor and store networks become more complex.

This gives brands a single infrastructure layer for managing the operational challenges that come with moving beyond online sales.

Offline Expansion Still Creates Complexity

Raff is targeting a problem that is becoming increasingly relevant across the Gulf.

Launching and scaling an online business has become easier in recent years, supported by E-commerce platforms, digital payments, and marketplace infrastructure.

Expanding into physical stores is often more complicated.

Brands entering offline retail must manage inventory across multiple locations, coordinate distributors, track payments, handle fulfillment and connect with different retail systems.

Raff CEO Ali Al Qudah said that while barriers to online commerce have fallen, reaching customers offline still involves multiple operational and commercial hurdles.

The company aims to simplify that transition.

More Than 900 Brands Already Supported

Raff says it has already enabled more than 900 brands across nine countries to expand through physical retail.

That early traction suggests growing demand for technology that connects online-first brands with traditional retail networks.

The company’s model is particularly relevant as more digital-native brands seek additional growth through physical distribution.

Rather than treating online and offline as separate channels, Raff is positioning itself as the infrastructure connecting the two.

Funding Will Support GCC Expansion

The new capital will be used primarily to expand Raff’s presence across the GCC.

The region has become an increasingly active market for retail technology, driven by rapid digitalization, strong consumer spending and continued investment in modern retail infrastructure.

Raff also plans to invest further in product development and AI.

Artificial intelligence could play a larger role in inventory forecasting, order management, demand planning and operational automation as the platform grows.

Investors Look Beyond Online Commerce

The funding round also reflects a broader shift in investor thinking.

Vision Ventures previously invested in Salla, one of the companies that helped enable regional merchants’ move from offline commerce to online selling.

Raff represents the opposite trend.

Brands that grew online are now looking for more efficient ways to enter physical retail.

This makes retail infrastructure increasingly important.

The opportunity is no longer only about helping businesses launch online stores. It is also about helping digital brands manage stores, inventory, distribution and physical expansion without adding unnecessary operational complexity.

Gulf Retail Infrastructure Attracts More Capital

At $1.7 million, Raff’s round is relatively significant for a pre-seed investment and signals growing investor appetite for retail technology in the Gulf.

The company sits at the intersection of several major trends: omnichannel retail, AI, inventory management and regional expansion.

For GCC retailers and consumer brands, the challenge is increasingly less about choosing between online and offline.

It is about building systems that enable both channels to operate efficiently together.

Raff’s funding suggests investors see that integration as one of the next major opportunities in regional commerce.

Arab Digital Transformation Accelerates as AI Reshapes Regional Economy

Arab League officials and digital economy leaders discussed AI preparedness, cross-border digital integration and investment initiatives aimed at turning technology adoption into measurable economic growth.

Arab digital transformation is entering a more ambitious phase as regional institutions look to artificial intelligence, data, digital trade and technology investment to strengthen economic growth and competitiveness.

Senior representatives of the League of Arab States and the Arab Federation for Digital Economy met in Cairo to discuss how Arab economies can respond to the rapid technological changes being driven by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

The discussions focused on the implications of AI for investment, technology production, the data economy, human capital and the future of regional economic cooperation.

Participants also stressed that the next stage of Arab digital transformation should focus less on broad strategies and more on practical projects that deliver measurable economic and social results.

AI Creates New Priorities for Arab Digital Transformation

Artificial intelligence is expected to reshape labor markets, education, production, services, trade and investment across the Arab region.

The meeting examined how governments can prepare for these changes while ensuring that technological transformation contributes directly to economic development.

One of the central themes was the need to connect digital strategy with implementation.

Regional officials discussed more effective models for joint Arab action that combine policy, investment, technology projects and international partnerships.

The objective is to translate individual countries’ digital priorities into initiatives that can be implemented, measured and potentially scaled across the region.

This approach could become increasingly important as governments attempt to balance investment in emerging technologies with challenges surrounding skills development, regulation and access to capital.

Arab Digital Economy Vision Remains Central

Dr. Ali Mohammed Al Khouri, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, presented the Federation’s work across digital economy development, investment, education, food security, and international cooperation.

He also reviewed the Arab Digital Economy Vision, an initiative developed with support from the United Arab Emirates.

The strategy is intended to help Arab economies strengthen their ability to benefit from digital transformation, technology, and data.

The initiative has developed into a broader regional framework and has been adopted at the Arab Summit level.

Its priorities include improving digital infrastructure, strengthening digital capabilities, and creating economic environments that allow technology to generate greater value.

Digital Economy Index Measures Regional Progress

The meeting also discussed the Arab Digital Economy Index, which has been developed to measure the performance of Arab countries across different areas of the digital economy.

The index is designed to identify gaps, priorities, and areas where additional government or private-sector investment may be required.

Such measurement tools could become increasingly important as policymakers seek to understand why some countries can generate greater economic value from digital technologies than others.

Rather than focusing solely on technology adoption, governments are increasingly looking at indicators such as digital skills, investment capacity, business participation, and economic outcomes.

This shift could help Arab digital transformation strategies become more targeted and measurable.

Madar Platform Targets Digital Investment

Another initiative discussed during the meeting was Madar – Arab Platform for Digital Projects.

The platform aims to showcase investment opportunities and development projects across Arab countries while connecting them with companies, investors and international institutions.

Its broader objective is to attract capital, technology, and international expertise to projects identified as priorities by individual Arab economies.

The Federation is also seeking to use its international partnerships to create new channels between Arab countries and global investors, technology companies and markets.

This includes developing financing and partnership models that encourage greater participation from both foreign investors and the private sector.

Cross-Border Digital Integration Takes Priority

Interoperability between Arab digital systems and platforms was another major topic.

Participants discussed the importance of enabling digital infrastructure across countries to communicate more effectively.

Greater interoperability could support cross-border data exchange, digital services and regional trade.

It could also reduce friction for businesses operating across multiple Arab markets.

For E-commerce companies in particular, stronger regional digital integration could improve digital payments, logistics, identity verification, customs procedures, and cross-border services.

The Arab region currently consists of multiple markets with different regulations, digital infrastructures and levels of technological development.

Improved interoperability could therefore become an important component of deeper regional economic integration.

Skills Development Will Be Critical

Technology infrastructure alone will not determine whether Arab economies benefit from the AI era.

Digital education and workforce development were also identified as important priorities.

The Arab Federation for Digital Economy is developing education and training initiatives intended to connect digital skills more closely with labour market requirements.

As AI adoption expands, this issue is expected to become increasingly urgent.

Companies will require employees capable not only of using new technologies but also of integrating them into business operations, decision-making and customer services.

Governments will also face pressure to adapt education systems as demand changes for different technical and professional skills.

Digital Projects Must Produce Measurable Value

A recurring theme throughout the discussions was the need to move from strategy to implementation.

Al Khouri said the coming period should focus on converting existing visions and initiatives into practical projects and partnerships.

The emphasis is increasingly on linking the digital economy directly to growth, development, and economic value creation.

Professor Dr. Ahmed Mustafa Al-Sherbini, Secretary-General of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, similarly highlighted the importance of turning the Federation’s projects into programs that can be expanded across the region.

The success of digital initiatives, he said, ultimately depends on whether they produce measurable economic and social outcomes.

Arab Digital Transformation Enters the AI Era

The rapid development of artificial intelligence is changing the definition of digital readiness.

For Arab economies, simply expanding connectivity or increasing technology adoption may no longer be enough.

Countries will increasingly need to demonstrate that digital investment improves productivity, supports businesses, strengthens trade and creates new economic opportunities.

Collaboration between governments, businesses and international institutions could therefore become one of the defining elements of the next stage of Arab digital transformation.

The region’s challenge will be to translate ambitious digital strategies into scalable projects that deliver tangible economic results.

As artificial intelligence reshapes the global economy, the ability of Arab countries to integrate technology, skills, investment and regional cooperation will play an increasingly important role in determining their competitiveness.

OpenAI Localizes AI Processing in the UAE

OpenAI has launched its “Inference Residency” service in the United Arab Emirates. With the new implementation, eligible customers’ AI model inference operations can be carried out on GPUs located within the country’s borders. The UAE has thus become the third region, after the United States and Europe, to offer “inference residency” for ChatGPT.

Model Inference with OpenAI Will Take Place Within the UAE

Unlike the existing “Data Residency” implementation, Inference Residency determines not only where data is stored, but also where the GPU operations through which the AI model processes customer content are carried out. To benefit from the service, data residency must also be enabled in the same region. While eligible ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu customers can use this option, regional processing support is also available for certain API services in the UAE.

E-Commerce and Retail Companies Will Also Be Able to Benefit

OpenAI’s new infrastructure also allows e-commerce and retail companies that meet the eligibility requirements to run supported AI workloads in the UAE. Customer content covered by the service includes prompts, files, conversations, and embeddings data generated from this content. The local GPU processing option is available not only to sectors with specific data-location requirements, such as finance, healthcare, education, and government, but also to e-commerce and retail businesses using artificial intelligence.

GPT-5.2 and Feature Limitations on ChatGPT

According to OpenAI’s official information, GPT-5.2 is currently available in ChatGPT workspaces configured with inference residency in the UAE. Image generation, built-in search, ChatGPT Work, and enhanced memory are not supported, while standard saved memories can continue to be used. In addition, some non-GPU processes, such as authentication, routing, and analytics, may be carried out outside the region.

AI Adoption Is Accelerating in the UAE

Farouk El Hamzawi, Head of Enterprise for OpenAI MENA, stated that organizations in the UAE are rapidly adopting artificial intelligence and that the government’s long-term technology vision is supporting this process. El Hamzawi said that with the Inference Residency service, eligible customers are given greater control over where their AI workloads are run, while stronger regional assurances are provided to organizations scaling their use of artificial intelligence.

Amazon Plans Major Texas Data Center Campus to Power AI Growth

Amazon is planning a major new data center campus in Pecos County, Texas, as the technology giant expands infrastructure to support growing demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

According to Amazon, the planned campus will initially be powered by new on-site generation rather than relying entirely on the Texas electricity grid. The company says the facility is designed to transition to grid-connected service as interconnection timelines allow, while it also explores solar energy and battery storage opportunities on site.

New Infrastructure for Growing AI Demand

The project highlights one of the biggest challenges facing the technology sector: securing enough electricity to support increasingly energy-intensive AI workloads.

Amazon says the Pecos County campus represents a long-term investment and is expected to create thousands of new jobs in the region. The company is also positioning the project around resource efficiency, particularly in an area where water availability is an important consideration.

To reduce pressure on local water resources, Amazon says it plans to use water that is not suitable for drinking or irrigation. The company will also deploy custom cooling technology designed to minimize water consumption and explore the use of produced water as another non-potable source.

Energy Challenges Raise Questions

The project is also attracting scrutiny over its energy strategy. Recent reports indicate that the planned on-site natural-gas generation could reach 7.65 gigawatts, with the facility potentially becoming one of the largest sources of carbon emissions in the U.S. if operated at its permitted capacity.

This creates a broader tension for the technology industry: companies are racing to build AI infrastructure while simultaneously facing increasing pressure to reduce emissions, water consumption and their impact on local energy systems.

Amazon maintains that the Pecos County campus will pay the full costs of powering its operations and says its approach is designed not to increase electricity costs for Texas households.

The development reflects a wider shift in the data center industry, where access to reliable power is increasingly becoming as important as access to land and connectivity. As AI adoption accelerates, the ability to secure large-scale energy supplies could become a defining factor in where the next generation of digital infrastructure is built.

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Turkish AI Researcher Koray Kavukcuoglu Takes on Expanded Leadership Role at Google

Google has elevated Turkish AI researcher Koray Kavukcuoglu to a broader leadership position, placing him at the center of the company’s efforts to accelerate artificial intelligence innovation and product integration.

Google has announced a major leadership update within its AI organization, appointing Koray Kavukcuoglu as Senior Vice President and Chief AI Architect while he continues serving as Chief Technology Officer of Google DeepMind. In his expanded role, Kavukcuoglu will oversee the day-to-day execution of Google’s AI strategy and help bring the company’s latest AI models into products more quickly and efficiently.

The appointment comes as Google reshapes its AI leadership. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis will transition to the newly created role of Alphabet’s Chief Scientist and Chairman of Google DeepMind, focusing on long-term artificial general intelligence (AGI) research and scientific strategy. Kavukcuoglu will take on greater operational responsibility, reporting directly to CEO Sundar Pichai on AI product execution while continuing his leadership at DeepMind.

A Turkish Engineer at the Forefront of AI

Born in Türkiye, Koray Kavukcuoglu earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU) before completing both a master’s degree and PhD in Computer Science at New York University, where he worked under renowned AI pioneer Yann LeCun.

Since joining DeepMind in 2012, Kavukcuoglu has played a key role in advancing deep learning research. He has led teams behind several breakthrough technologies, including DQN, IMPALA, and WaveNet, innovations that have significantly influenced modern artificial intelligence and speech technologies.

Strengthening Google’s AI Product Strategy

Google says Kavukcuoglu’s expanded responsibilities are aimed at accelerating the integration of its cutting-edge AI models across consumer and enterprise products. His appointment reflects the company’s growing focus on transforming advanced AI research into widely deployed technologies as competition intensifies across the global AI landscape.

The leadership change underscores the increasing influence of Turkish talent in global technology and positions Koray Kavukcuoglu among the most prominent AI executives shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

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Amazon Signs $410 Million Compute Agreement with Recursive Superintelligence

Artificial intelligence startup Recursive Superintelligence has signed a multi-year compute capacity agreement worth $410 million with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company, which emerged from stealth mode in May 2026 with $650 million in funding, will scale its open-ended and self-improving artificial intelligence systems on AWS infrastructure. It was reported that the company plans to introduce its first tangible products before the end of the year.

Recursive Superintelligence Allocates a Large Portion of Its Budget to Compute

The $410 million agreement represents a significant portion of the funding the startup has raised to date. Recursive Superintelligence Founder and CEO Richard Socher said that this would probably be one of the smallest compute agreements to be signed over the next few years. The company is directing a large portion of the resources that would traditionally be allocated to personnel and operations directly toward computing capacity.

Socher described the company’s approach as focusing “more on the number of agents than the number of employees.” It was stated that AWS did not invest in the company as part of the agreement and that the collaboration was built directly around cloud and compute services. Jason Bennett, AWS Vice President of Startups and Venture Capital, stated that the parties would jointly develop infrastructure tailored to the needs of artificial intelligence companies of this kind.

First Usable Artificial Intelligence Products Could Arrive in October

Socher stated that they aim for artificial intelligence to advance research and product development processes without human intervention. The first tangible and usable products are planned to be made available to users within a few months, around October. While the use cases of the products have not yet been disclosed, no details have been shared regarding a separate solution for the e-commerce and retail sectors.

The Company’s Valuation Reached $4.65 Billion

It was reported that Recursive Superintelligence reached a valuation of $4.65 billion following its $650 million funding round. The company’s automated artificial intelligence research system produced results that surpassed years of human optimization. AWS will provide flexibility, security, and dedicated compute infrastructure to run autonomous research loops in parallel and at scale. Details regarding the processors, accelerators, and other technical resources to be used in the agreement were not disclosed.

Recursive Superintelligence states that it began its work by creating “artificial intelligence that improves artificial intelligence” and aims to generate continuous innovation through open-ended algorithms. Socher previously served as Chief Scientist at Salesforce and also founded You.com and AIX Ventures.

AWS Launches $1 Billion AI Engineering Unit to Accelerate Enterprise Adoption

PaySureFy Launches Africa’s First AI-Powered Escrow Payment Platform

Nigerian fintech startup PaySureFy has launched an AI-powered escrow payment and trust infrastructure to reduce the risk of fraud in online and cross-border transactions. The company describes the platform as Africa’s first AI-powered cross-border escrow payment infrastructure. The system aims to serve buyers, sellers, freelancers, small businesses, e-commerce platforms, corporations, public institutions, and diaspora users.

PaySureFy Links Payments to Predetermined Conditions

PaySureFy combines escrow payment processes, identity verification, AI-powered fraud detection, milestone payments, transaction evidence, compliance checks, and dispute resolution within a single infrastructure. Transactions are completed after the conditions predetermined by the parties have been met.

The company does not operate as a digital wallet or bank that directly holds customer funds. Money transfer and settlement processes are managed by regulated banking and payment partners. PaySureFy is responsible for verifying transactions, enforcing escrow payment rules, conducting fraud checks, obtaining user approvals, and managing disputes. The system provides the trust layer that determines whether a transaction should proceed, be paused, be placed under review, or whether the payment should be released.

Artificial Intelligence Will Review Suspicious Transactions Before Completion

PaySureFy’s AI-powered fraud system was developed to detect suspicious transaction patterns, identity mismatches, and various risk indicators before a transaction is completed. Founder Mgbeoji Austin stated that buyers are concerned about fake sellers, while honest sellers are worried about fake payment notifications, fraudulent orders, and false claims.

Austin said that payment systems have become faster and more accessible, but trust infrastructure has not developed at the same pace. Stating that a transaction cannot be considered complete simply because money has been sent, Austin said that the parties must be verified, the agreement must be clear, and a protection mechanism must be available if a problem arises.

Sales Conducted Through Social Media Will Also Be Covered

The launch of PaySureFy comes at a time when shopping through social media channels such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and TikTok has become increasingly widespread. The growth of commerce through these channels has also increased risks such as fake sellers, impersonation, fraudulent payment notifications, delivery problems, and payment disputes.

In addition to online shopping, the platform can be used for freelancer payments, contractor agreements, procurement processes, real estate transactions, and diaspora-funded projects. With milestone payment and partial fund-release features, payments can be made as specified stages of a project or service are completed.

API Support Will Be Offered to E-Commerce Platforms

PaySureFy also plans to offer API services under its “Trust-as-a-Service” model. This will allow marketplaces and e-commerce platforms to integrate escrow payments, identity verification, fraud monitoring, and dispute management features into their own systems. Workflows requiring the approval of multiple authorized individuals before a transaction is completed will also be offered to corporate and public-sector users.

To increase user access across Africa, language options are being prepared in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Twi, Swahili, and French, as well as Mandarin and Spanish. While PaySureFy’s website, mobile web, and desktop browser versions have been launched, Android access is reportedly being rolled out gradually through the company’s website and will later be released on app stores. The development of PaySureFy began in 2020 during the COVID-19 period, when digital transactions accelerated.

Previously developed under the working names Paytrust Nigeria and Monieguard, the project adopted the PaySureFy brand in 2023 after its scope evolved from payment protection into a broader trust infrastructure.

TikTok Launches Digital Commerce Labs for Nigerian SMEs