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Carl Pei has a clear message for anyone building apps today: the model that has powered smartphones since the iPhone arrived may not last. The Nothing CEO told an audience at SXSW that apps are going to disappear as AI agents take over. He said if your startup relies on an app as its core value, that approach faces disruption whether you like it or not.
The current way we use phones feels old school to Pei. You still see lock screens, home screens, and full screen apps that you browse one by one. He pointed out that simple intentions like grabbing coffee can require four separate apps, from messaging to maps to ride sharing to calendars. AI agents could change that by knowing the user well enough to just handle the task.
From simple commands to proactive suggestions 🤖
Pei described early AI features that execute commands like booking a flight as super boring. The more interesting phase comes when the system learns long term intentions. If you want to get healthier, the device might offer nudges without being asked. He compared this to ChatGPT‘s memory feature but taken further, so the phone surfaces ideas you did not even realize you wanted.
His vision for an AI first smartphone goes beyond reacting to commands. The device would act on your behalf because it understands you deeply. Nothing pitched a similar idea when it raised $200 million in its Series C round last year, focusing on AI and personalization accurate enough that users trust the output without double checking.
Building interfaces for agents, not humans 📱
Pei stressed that the future does not involve AI agents mimicking human taps and swipes through menus. Instead, developers need to create interfaces designed for the agent to use directly. This approach is more future proof than trying to automate existing human interfaces. He noted that Nothing‘s own operating system still lets users build mini apps today, and apps will not vanish immediately. Yet over time the shift toward agent friendly systems seems inevitable.
Other voices in the industry echo parts of this thinking. Reports on AI agent trends highlight how these systems can automate workflows and act with greater autonomy. For those exploring AI agents right now, directories like the best AI agent tools offer practical starting points, while resources on top AI assistants show how current assistants are evolving toward more capable agents.
The discussion also ties into broader AI development tools that help build and deploy such systems, as seen in collections of AI coding and development tools. Google Cloud has outlined AI agent trends for 2026 that point to agents becoming central in business and consumer contexts alike.
Pei did not set a firm timeline, but his comments suggest the app heavy experience that has felt familiar for twenty years is due for a major rethink. The question now is how quickly the rest of the industry follows and what that means for the apps we rely on today.
