Carl Pei: AI Agents Will Replace Smartphone Apps
▼ Summary
– Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, predicts that smartphone apps will disappear, disrupted by AI agents that perform tasks for users.
– He envisions an AI-first device that learns a user’s long-term intentions and proactively surfaces suggestions to help achieve goals.
– Pei criticizes the current smartphone interface as outdated, requiring users to manually navigate multiple apps for simple tasks like scheduling a coffee meeting.
– The future interface should be designed for the AI agent to use directly, not for humans to navigate through apps.
– While apps will persist in the near term, the ultimate goal is a frictionless system where the AI executes intentions without mimicking human touch interactions.
Carl Pei, the CEO and co-founder of Nothing, envisions a fundamental shift in how we interact with technology, predicting that AI agents will replace traditional smartphone apps. He argues that the current app-based model is outdated and ripe for disruption, a change that will reshape the entire software landscape for startups and established companies alike.
Speaking at the SXSW conference, Pei elaborated on this future, which he believes will be powered by intelligent systems that understand and act on our behalf. He described the current smartphone experience as essentially unchanged for two decades, still revolving around lock screens, home screens, and discrete applications. This model, he feels, creates unnecessary friction for even simple tasks.
“It’s very hard to get things done on a phone,” Pei stated. He used the example of planning to get coffee with someone, which typically involves juggling multiple apps for messaging, maps, ride-hailing, and calendars. His vision is far more streamlined: a device that knows you well enough to understand your intention and simply executes it for you through AI, eliminating the manual app navigation.
The journey toward this future involves several stages. The first, which Pei finds “super boring,” is the current wave of AI assistants that perform single tasks on command, like booking travel. The next, more compelling phase is when the AI learns a user’s long-term goals and proactively surfaces helpful suggestions. He compared this to an advanced version of memory features in systems like ChatGPT, where the technology anticipates needs you might not have explicitly recognized.
This shift necessitates a complete rethinking of device interfaces. The future interface will be designed for the AI agent to use, not for humans to navigate through apps. Pei emphasized that the goal is not to have an AI clumsily mimic human taps and swipes through existing app menus. Instead, developers must build backend systems and interfaces specifically for AI agents to operate seamlessly and frictionlessly.
Pei was clear that this transformation won’t happen overnight. Apps will remain relevant in the near term, and his own company’s software even includes tools for creating mini-apps. However, he is convinced that the ultimate, future-proof path leads to a post-app world where our devices act as proactive, intelligent partners.
(Source: TechCrunch)
