Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing, is pushing a clear idea about the future of smartphones, and he believes AI will replace the way people use apps today. He sees a shift where phones stop acting like tools that need constant input and instead become systems that understand what users want and act on their behalf.
Pei argues that the current app-based model has stayed almost the same for years, even though technology has improved rapidly, and he says this gap is slowing down how people get things done on their devices. He explains that simple tasks still require jumping between multiple apps, which adds unnecessary steps.
At the SXSW conference in Austin, Pei said, “In terms of AI in software, I think people should understand that apps are going to disappear.” He added, “So, if you’re a founder or a startup and your app is like where the core value lies, that will be disrupted whether you like it or not.”
Pei describes the next phase of smartphones as systems that understand long-term user intent instead of waiting for commands. He said, “I think it gets even more powerful when it starts surfacing suggestions for you; you don’t have to manually come up with an idea.”
He also pointed out that current phones still rely on old interaction models. “The current way we use phones is very old-school,” he said, adding that the structure of apps, home screens, and app stores has not changed much in 20 years.
A Future Without App Interfaces
Pei believes future devices will rely on AI agents that operate without traditional app interfaces. He said, “I know you very well, and if I know your intention, I just do it for you.”
He also made it clear that AI should not rely on human-style interfaces. “The future is not the agent using a human interface. You need to create an interface for the agent to use,” he said.
