AI smarts, human spark

Welcome to Inside the Circles, your scoop on the people, tech and trends shaping the digital economy and beyond.

AI isn’t just about technology itself — it’s about empowering people to experiment, learn and grow, write Mastercard’s Federico Cohen Freue and Lucrecia Borgonovo in a new blog about building a culture of trust, transparency and collaboration around AI. “It’s been said that fear is a great motivator,” they write. “We believe that confidence is a more powerful catalyst.” 

AI-powered platforms, like Mastercard's internal talent marketplace Unlocked, give employees access to learning, mentoring and projects to strengthen AI skills. Leaders use AI to coach, plan and make better decisions. By combining technology with human insight, the company ensures employees are prepared for an AI-driven future — not just to keep pace with change, but to shape it.  

That includes preparing young minds for this future. Mastercard Chief AI and Data Officer Greg Ulrich joined other industry leaders at the White House earlier this month to discuss AI education. He also announced a new pledge to expand the company’s Kids4Tech STEM education program to reach 1 million students in the U.S. over the next five years, making AI accessible and empowering.  

Mastercard also announced last week advances in agentic commerce, including the formation of new standards together with the FIDO Alliance and deeper partnerships to make secure agentic transactions accessible and scalable for digital merchants and platforms globally, with all U.S. Mastercard cardholders to be enabled for the Mastercard Agent Pay program in time for holiday shopping. Read more here, and check out Google 's announcement today about working with Mastercard, among others, to create a protocol to build trust for this kind of commerce.

For a deeper dive into how Mastercard is using AI to make commerce safer, smarter and more personalized, read Ulrich’s LinkedIn post: “Success in AI-driven transformation isn’t defined solely by the variety of tools a company provides — it’s equally, if not more, about upskilling employees and cultivating confidence across teams. This combination is the true recipe for meaningful progress.”  

And for a look at how businesses and governments can stay ahead of cyberthreats in a world with billions of devices and AI-powered agents, check out Mastercard’s new white paper, “Securing tomorrow: Preparing for an always-on, AI-powered future.” Download the white paper here.  

Cruise control for toll payments

A pilot program launching later this year by Mastercard, Volvo Cars and the North Carolina Turnpike Authority brings new meaning to the term “mobile wallet.” By combining vehicle software, GPS and Mastercard’s tokenization technology for secure payments, it essentially turns a car into a wallet on wheels, allowing drivers to pay their tolls automatically, without a transponder and without needing to top-off their toll accounts.  

Though the pilot is initially limited to Volvo drivers on North Carolina’s toll roads, the vision has far more mileage: seamless parking payments, simple gas station checkouts — even having your car place an order for your morning coffee and pay for it, triangulating your commute with local traffic and prep time so it’s piping hot when you pick it up.  

It’s also another step toward vehicle-to-everything communications, where cars can communicate with each other and with infrastructure, such as traffic lights — enabling drivers to get alerts about work zones, crashes or dangerous weather conditions. Read more in Raleigh’s News & Observer.  

The last word  

“What we do together as an industry to work together, share intelligence, create the shields together — that raises the bar way higher rather than everyone doing it on their own.” 

Johan Gerber, Mastercard's executive vice president of Security Solutions, right, with retired U.S. Army General Paul Nakasone, who led the U.S. Cyber Command, at Mastercard's RiskX conference last week. More than 600 customers, partners and industry experts gathered in Rome to discuss cybersecurity in an age of accelerating risk. Read his recap here.  

Watch out 

Gas prices aren’t just numbers at the pump — they’re a daily signal for wallets and the wider economy. Michelle Meyer , Mastercard’s chief economist, shares gas price insights and what drives fluctuations in the latest edition of “Your Personal Economist” with Mastercard and MoneyLion .

ICYMI 

Reuse returns: The circular economy is making a comeback, with digital payments, apps and platforms making it easier than ever to share, repair and repurpose at scale. Kicking off New York Climate Week next week, Mastercard’s Chief Sustainability Officer Ellen Jackowski joins executives from Lime , Beni and Futureline for “Returning to Reuse: The Tech-Enabled Age of Circularity,” on Sept. 22. Register to stream the panel here.  

ATM innovation: Skip the card, skip the PIN. A new effort from Mastercard, NCR Atleos and ITCARD is making ATM authentication easier. Starting in Poland and expanding later to the rest of Europe, cardholders will be able to tap their phone against an ATM terminal and use their on-device biometrics to access their account. Read more about the initiative here.  

Best places to work: Mastercard was recognized on Time's World’s Best Companies list, ranking #17, the highest of any payments technology company. Interested in building the future of commerce? Explore open roles here. 

Leadership shifts: Ari Sarker , Mastercard’s Asia Pacific president, is transitioning to an advisory role at the end of the year, and Richard Wormald, currently president of Australasia for Mastercard, is taking over his role. Check out the news here as part a new video series from the Asia Pacific communications team called “In the Loop.” Meanwhile, Kelly Devine officially took the reins of Mastercard Europe earlier this month as former Europe President Mark Barnett moved to a new role overseeing global small and medium-sized enterprises. And Mastercard appointed Ailish Campbell , former Canadian ambassador to the EU, as executive vice president of Public Sector, where she’ll bring her diplomatic and trade expertise to deepen government partnerships and drive global growth.