Toronto, ON (April 15, 2026)
Datatel Inc. today announced that Co-Founder and Co-CEO Barnard Crespi will participate as a panelist at The Future of Commerce: Data, AI, and the Rise of Autonomous Buyers, hosted by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Northeastern University Toronto, on May 7, 2026.
The session will bring together senior leaders from Microsoft, Mastercard, Loblaw Digital, Interac, and Datatel to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping how customers discover, evaluate, and complete transactions.
At the center of the discussion is the growing shift toward agentic commerce, where intelligent systems increasingly participate in, and in some cases execute, purchasing decisions on behalf of individuals and organizations. As this shift accelerates, businesses are being forced to rethink foundational elements of commerce, including how trust is established, how payments are authorized, and how data is governed across digital ecosystems.
“Organizations are entering a phase where the definition of the ‘buyer’ is changing,” said Crespi. “When AI systems begin acting with delegated authority, the challenge is no longer just enabling transactions, it’s ensuring those transactions are trusted, verifiable, and aligned with both customer intent and regulatory expectations.”
Panelists will explore how enterprises should adapt their operating models to account for autonomous decision-making systems, with a focus on:
- Establishing trust frameworks for AI-driven transactions
- Rethinking payment authorization and identity in machine-to-machine interactions
- Aligning data strategy with emerging AI-driven customer journeys
- Addressing governance, compliance, and risk in automated commerce environments
The event will take place at Northeastern University Toronto Campus and is expected to draw business leaders, technology professionals, and policymakers seeking to understand the next phase of digital commerce.
Datatel’s participation reflects its ongoing focus on helping organizations modernize payment infrastructure and reduce risk as new technologies reshape how transactions are initiated and completed.
About Datatel
Datatel is a payment technology and advisory company that helps organizations modernize how they securely accept and manage payments. For more than 25 years, Datatel has specialized in secure payment infrastructure, IVR payment technology, and PCI compliance advisory services that reduce the risks associated with handling payment card data. As more organizations introduce AI technologies into customer interactions, Datatel helps ensure payment transactions remain isolated, secure, and compliant by protecting Voice AI and other automated systems from directly handling sensitive cardholder data. Datatel’s solutions are used by healthcare providers, utilities, financial services organizations, and government agencies across North America.
