While chatbots are an effective entry point, they are limiting for complex creative tasks. The next wave of AI products will feature specialized user interfaces that combine fine-grained, gesture-based controls for professionals with hands-off automation for simpler tasks.
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Figma CEO Dylan Field predicts we will look back at current text prompting for AI as a primitive, command-line interface, similar to MS-DOS. The next major opportunity is to create intuitive, use-case-specific interfaces—like a compass for AI's latent space—that allow for more precise control beyond text.
Current text-based prompting for AI is a primitive, temporary phase, similar to MS-DOS. The future lies in more intuitive, constrained, and creative interfaces that allow for richer, more visual exploration of a model's latent space, moving beyond just natural language.
The primary interface for managing AI agents won't be simple chat, but sophisticated IDE-like environments for all knowledge workers. This paradigm of "macro delegation, micro-steering" will create new software categories like the "accountant IDE" or "lawyer IDE" for orchestrating complex AI work.
The best UI for an AI tool is a direct function of the underlying model's power. A more capable model unlocks more autonomous 'form factors.' For example, the sudden rise of CLI agents was only possible once models like Claude 3 became capable enough to reliably handle multi-step tasks.
The best agentic UX isn't a generic chat overlay. Instead, identify where users struggle with complex inputs like formulas or code. Replace these friction points with a native, natural language interface that directly integrates the AI into the core product workflow, making it feel seamless and powerful.
The next frontier for conversational AI is not just better text, but "Generative UI"—the ability to respond with interactive components. Instead of describing the weather, an AI can present a weather widget, merging the flexibility of chat with the richness of a graphical interface.
AI chat interfaces are often mistaken for simple, accessible tools. In reality, they are power-user interfaces that expose the raw capabilities of the underlying model. Achieving great results requires skill and virtuosity, much like mastering a complex tool.
Open-ended prompts overwhelm new users who don't know what's possible. A better approach is to productize AI into specific features. Use familiar UI like sliders and dropdowns to gather user intent, which then constructs a complex prompt behind the scenes, making powerful AI accessible without requiring prompt engineering skills.
The next user interface paradigm is delegation, not direct manipulation. Humans will communicate with AI agents via voice, instructing them to perform complex tasks on computers. This will shift daily work from hours of clicking and typing to zero, fundamentally changing our relationship with technology.
Chatbots are fundamentally linear, which is ill-suited for complex tasks like planning a trip. The next generation of AI products will use AI as a co-creation tool within a more flexible canvas-like interface, allowing users to manipulate and organize AI-generated content non-linearly.
