Pat Gelsinger frames the AI revolution as an inversion of human-computer interaction. For 50 years, people have adapted to computers. AI-native applications will reverse this, with the computer adapting to the user's language and context—a paradigm shift that will dramatically change user experience.
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Instead of merely 'sprinkling' AI into existing systems for marginal gains, the transformative approach is to build an AI co-pilot that anticipates and automates a user's entire workflow. This turns the individual, not the software, into the platform, fundamentally changing their operational capacity.
The next major evolution in AI will be models that are personalized for specific users or companies and update their knowledge daily from interactions. This contrasts with current monolithic models like ChatGPT, which are static and must store irrelevant information for every user.
For years, Google has integrated AI as features into existing products like Gmail. Its new "Antigravity" IDE represents a strategic pivot to building applications from the ground up around an "agent-first" principle. This suggests a future where AI is the core foundation of a product, not just an add-on.
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.
AI is best understood not as a single tool, but as a flexible underlying interface. It can manifest as a chat box for some, but its real potential is in creating tailored workflows that feel native to different roles, like designers or developers, without forcing everyone into a single interaction model.
AI will fundamentally change user interfaces. Instead of designers pre-building UIs, AI will generate the necessary "forms and lists" on the fly based on a user's natural language request. This means for the first time, the user, not the developer, will be the one creating the interface.
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.
With AI, designers are no longer just guessing user intent to build static interfaces. Their new primary role is to facilitate the interaction between a user and the AI model, helping users communicate their intent, understand the model's response, and build a trusted relationship with the system.
Despite the hype, AI's impact on daily life remains minimal because most consumer apps haven't changed. The true societal shift will occur when new, AI-native applications are built from the ground up, much like the iPhone enabled a new class of apps, rather than just bolting AI features onto old frameworks.
Most current AI tools are skeuomorphic—they just perform old tasks more efficiently. The real transformation will come from "AI-native" applications that create entirely new business models, just as Uber was an "iPhone-native" concept unimaginable before its time. The biggest winners will use AI to become the industry, not just sell to it.
