TLDRs;
- Ant International processed US$1.1 trillion in payments last year with its AI-driven cross-border system.
- The platform cuts corporate cash-holding needs by up to 60%, boosting efficiency for multinational firms.
- A new AI model enhances demand forecasting, rivaling innovations from Amazon and JPMorgan.
- Despite a 60% profit drop, Ant is doubling down on long-term fintech growth and global payments leadership.
Ant International, the Singapore-based cross-border payments subsidiary of Ant Group, has unveiled how its artificial intelligence-powered system is reshaping the way money moves across borders.
The company disclosed that the system managed an astonishing US$1.1 trillion in flows in 2024, underscoring the growing role of AI in global finance.
Streamlining corporate treasury management
Ant International’s AI tool isn’t merely a payments processor. It operates as an end-to-end treasury solution, helping multinational firms anticipate when and where cash will be needed.
By feeding real-time trade and logistics data into its AI models, the company says it can reduce daily cash-holding requirements by as much as 60%, a major efficiency win for corporates with high operating costs.
Among its early adopters are three airlines, a sector known for unpredictable cash flows due to fluctuating fuel prices and shifting travel demand. For these companies, liquidity optimization can mean the difference between profitability and mounting debt.
New AI model improves forecasting power
In 2024, Ant International rolled out a more advanced AI framework designed to process large datasets in parallel. This upgrade improved the system’s ability to predict demand surges giving companies greater agility in managing currency exposures.
The technology also strengthens Ant’s position in a competitive landscape where global giants like Amazon and JPMorgan Chase are developing similar AI-driven, blockchain-supported cross-border payment solutions.
Profit pressures fuel long-term bets
Despite its technological advancements, Ant Group has faced near-term financial headwinds. The firm reported a 60.5% drop in first-quarter 2025 profits to US$657 million, largely due to heavy investment in new initiatives like AI-driven payments infrastructure.
This decline, however, follows a familiar pattern. Historically, Ant has endured profit squeezes during investment-heavy cycles that later paved the way for dominant market share gains. In 2018, a similar period of aggressive investment coincided with the firm’s record-breaking US$14 billion funding round, which eventually cemented its position as a leader in China’s digital payments ecosystem.
Today, Ant appears to be following the same playbook of accepting short-term financial pain in exchange for long-term competitive advantage. With the global fintech sector projected to nearly double to US$9.97 trillion by 2030, such investments could secure Ant International a leading position in the next phase of digital finance.
Balancing compliance and innovation
Since its halted IPO in 2020, Ant Group has been operating under tighter regulatory scrutiny. The pivot toward compliance has forced the company to carefully balance innovation with oversight. The rollout of AI-powered cross-border payments reflects this recalibrated strategy, focus on enterprise-facing, infrastructure-driven technology that not only grows revenues but also aligns with regulators’ push for transparency and financial stability.
If successful, Ant International’s AI-led approach could set a precedent for how fintech giants deploy advanced technologies responsibly, supporting not just faster payments, but smarter, safer, and more predictable cross-border finance.
