When Two AI Agents Communicate, Beckn Can be the Contracting Infrastructure
Similar to how HTTP powers the internet, facilitating worldwide web connectivity, GSM ensures interoperability in mobile communications, and SMTP governs email exchanges across various platforms, Beckn Protocol enables interoperability in economic transactions. Beckn’s interoperability allows different sellers and buyers to talk to each other on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform. Since its genesis, Beckn’s open and  interoperable principles have been leveraged by Namma Yatri and other open education, energy, and healthcare networks. A global first, the idea of the Beckn Protocol was conceived by Nandan Nilekani, Pramod Varma, Sujith Nair, and the Foundation for Interoperability in Digital Economy (FIDE) is the genesis author of the Beckn Protocol specification and the angel donor for its evolution. “Beckn, if I have to put it in a few words, it is the language of transactions. It is essentially a standardised language comprising a concise set of specifications condensed into virtual documents spanning approximately two to two and a half pages. When implemented across interfaces, platforms, and systems, it establishes a framework for seamless communication between external systems. This fosters the creation of open networks across various domains,” Sujith Nair, CEO and co-founder at FIDE, told AIM. Presently, platform aggregators like Uber or Amazon dominate, restricting interactions to users within the same platform. Beckn Protocol aims to change this by providing a common language for decentralised consumer-provider interactions across industries. This open standard enables communication between consumers and providers regardless of the platform, fostering a more inclusive and interconnected digital ecosystem. Beckn Establishes Legal Ground in the Age of AI Nair believes Beckn has a very important and powerful role to play in the age of AI. Today, AI is in its copilot phase, actively supporting humans in various tasks, ranging from aiding customer service representatives to assisting developers with coding to augmenting medical diagnoses. “But pretty soon AI is going to take action on your behalf, it will book a cab for you, book a hotel or place an order online on your behalf. But when that happens, how do you verify that the AI has indeed made the booking?” Nair asked. A foundational contract structure is needed to validate and formalise the booking as well as establish the liabilities of both parties. “This necessitates a programmable, machine-readable method of contracting in real-time, and achieving this requires an interoperable protocol like Beckn.” Beckn ensures there’s a verification process for these transactions when two AI agents (Buyer and Seller) are talking to each other. “You wouldn’t want to find yourself in a situation where you arrive at a hotel only to be told they have no record of your booking. Similarly, if you need to cancel, who agreed to the terms? Did you or the AI agents?” Nair enquired. A protocol infrastructure clarifies these matters unequivocally, with each transaction accompanied by a digitally signed micro contract detailing the terms explicitly. “This establishes a record, instilling trust based on the contractual agreements regarding what’s promised, what’s not, and the cancellation terms. This eliminates ambiguity and establishes a definitive ground truth without relying on verbal communication between agents, thereby enhancing the positive aspects of AI as a contracting infrastructure,” Nair said. Beckn will enhance AI’s efficacy Moreover, employing Beckn as a contracting infrastructure not only enhances AI’s efficacy but also bolsters its accountability aspects, amplifying both its positive impact and its responsible usage. It accomplishes these tasks while safeguarding users’ privacy confidentiality, and ensuring responsible contracting practices. By developing internal chatbots, FIDE has already shown AI can actually place an order on platforms like ONDC. While this concept is still in the testing phase, the non-profit has successfully conducted demos to validate its feasibility. “Importantly, the concept of Beckn is AI-neutral, meaning it can function with any Large Language Model (LLM) due to its adherence to open standards. This allows developers to implement it across various cloud platforms and LLMs. “While we’ve showcased this approach through demos, it’s a collaborative effort within the wider community to develop further and refine it,” Nair said. He also adds that Beckn also offers the advantage of extending AI capabilities to all nodes of the network. “For instance, consider the case of ONDC, where seller apps may not be AI-enabled. However, if there’s a smart buyer app with AI capabilities, it can still provide an AI experience to users. “Even though the seller apps may not have AI-ready catalogues, the fact that their data is accessible on the network enables the buyer app to offer an AI-driven experience. This means that non-AI-enabled seller platforms can still benefit from the AI capabilities of the buyer app. Instead of each node attempting AI individually, having AI at one end of the network benefits all nodes,” Nair explained. Powering open-networks, locally and globally Beckn Protocol is an open-source specification and anybody in any part of the world can leverage it. Given the success of Namma Yatri and Kochi Open Mobility Network, cities in Europe like Paris, Zurich and Amsterdam are already looking to adopt Beckn to make urban mobility services interoperable. At home, Beckn is also powering the Unified Energy Interface (UEI) initiative, which enables users to locate nearby EV charging stations and conduct payments seamlessly across multiple service providers. Another open network called VISTAAR, which is an interoperable and federated public network dedicated to agricultural information and advisory services, is being developed by leveraging Beckn.Driven by the Ministry of Agriculture, other parties involved include Apurva.ai, the non-profit Wadhwani AI, and the Nandan Nilekani-backed EkStep Foundation.
When implemented across interfaces, platforms, and systems, Beckn establishes a framework for seamless communication between external systems.
Pretty soon AI is going to take action on your behalf but when that happens, how do you verify that the AI has indeed made the booking? A foundational contract structure like Beckn Protocol is needed to validate and formalise the booking as well as establish the liabilities of both parties.
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I have a keen interest in creative writing and artificial intelligence. As a journalist, I deep dive into the world of technology and analyse how it’s restructuring business models and reshaping society.