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There's a vision of the future forming in front of our eyes at the moment. The interface is disappearing, and it might be too soon.
AI tools are busy pulling app functionality inside themselves. First, you could search like Google in your AI chat. Now, you can browse and buy stuff. It’s obviously only a matter of time before more is added.
Soon, instead of opening websites and tools, we'll just ask for what we want, and the agentic system will handle it, through a chat. A layer, or middleman in effect.
ChatGPT could become the gatekeeper, or the interface to replace all interfaces.
That's a big shift. Yes, we're fairly used to chat bots on websites, but honestly they feel a bit hard work. There is at least an element of trust, as you're on their actual website.
It's becoming more like using Alexa to do… everything. If you asked Alexa to make a purchase for you, would you be happy with that?
It's becoming more like using Alexa to do everything.
I know there's also a trend to chat with your computer more now, rather than type everything. So I guess the shift is happening, one way or another.
However, we've spent decades designing and trusting visual interfaces like apps, websites, buttons, layouts. Giving us the small signals that tell us what's safe, what's sketchy, what's ours to control.
Chat removes the very things that thus far have made us trust technology.
Now, all of that could be dissolving into chat. It's efficient, sure. But it also removes the very things that thus far have made us trust technology.
When there's no visible interface, there's no map. We will need other signals (in chat) to give us the right feeling.
With interfaces, we have gotten fairly good at spotting poor quality or bad actors through design signals.
When those signals vanish, how will we know what to trust?
I guess it's like on Amazon when there are about 20 seemingly identical products listed for your search (no signals). All have decent reviews, so we buy the one Amazon recommends.
On top of this problem, not everyone wants to "just talk" to get things done. Some aren't good at articulating their needs. Some will still want screens to work through. Step by step signs that say, "you're in the right place."
Some people aren't good at articulating their needs.
I'm conscious of my age writing this. I don't want it to come across as a moan from someone over 50. Yes, younger people are more comfortable with these changes. Older generations won't be. My point is, there are a lot of people in that demographic. Will they all be happy with chatting as the primary interface, not using something visual? They may have to.
For designers and engineers, the challenge will become finding new signs and signals within chat, to make us comfortable. How do you give confidence, trust and transparency to all users, even when the interface disappears?
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Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
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