David G. Birch

Papers

Total Citations

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About

David G. Birch is an emerging voice in the intersection of artificial intelligence, financial technology, and digital payments. His research focuses on how AI is reshaping retail banking and commerce, with particular attention to the transformative role of intelligent systems in consumer finance and transaction infrastructure. In his notably cited work "Where are the customers' bots?" (2023), Birch examines how financial institutions are deploying AI tools — including robo-advisers, chatbots, and fraud-detection systems — to reduce costs and expand services, while critically interrogating whether these innovations ultimately serve consumer interests or primarily institutional ones. Building on this foundation, his 2025 work on agentic commerce pushes the conversation further, exploring the profound implications of AI agents conducting autonomous financial transactions — what he frames as "robots paying robots." This work positions Birch at the forefront of thinking about agentic AI and its disruptive potential for payment systems. Though his citation counts remain modest, reflecting the recency of his publications, Birch's research addresses questions of urgent practical and theoretical importance as autonomous AI systems become increasingly embedded in global financial infrastructure.