MasterCard has introduced Decision Intelligence, which the company described in a press release as a comprehensive decisioning and fraud detection service. The solution uses artificial intelligence technology to help financial institutions increase the reliability of the approval process for real-time  transactions and reduce the number of false declines, according to a press release.

This is the first instance of AI being implemented on a global scale directly on the MasterCard network, the company said.

"We are solving a major consumer pain point of being falsely declined when trying to make a purchase," said Ajay Bhalla, president of enterprise risk and security at MasterCard. "By using AI technology on our global network, we're helping financial institutions and merchants improve approval — and the consumer experience."

The smart technology behind Decision Intelligence examines patterns of use for a specific account in order to detect normal and abnormal shopping and spending behaviors, according to the announcement. In doing so, it leverages account information such as customer value segmentation, risk profiling, location, merchant, device data, time of day, and type of purchase made.