Evolving Form Factors in the Age of AGI Artificial General Intelligence

As AI continues to advance at a rapid pace, the tech industry is abuzz with speculation about how these powerful new tools will transform the way we interact with technology. While there is no universally accepted definition of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), there is a growing consensus that AGI has the potential to fundamentally change the way we work and live. Here is the video from the Sana AI Summit, which is an annual meeting of minds to reflect on the new era of AI:



For the past 18 months or so, most of us have been interacting with AI models primarily through text interfaces, like chatbots and language models. As we've become more adept at prompting and conversing with AIs like Claude, GPT-4, and others, many of us have found ourselves developing surprisingly human-like relationships with these tools - saying "please" and "thank you", getting frustrated when they underperform, etc.

But the reality is that the simple chat bar interface is just the beginning of how we will interface with AI models in the future. As these models become increasingly capable, our relationships with our devices and the internet as a whole is poised for a major shift. The recent demos from companies like Google and OpenAI are a testament to the exciting developments on the horizon.

Here are some the perspectives from the three product leaders:

• Carl Pei, founder and CEO of Nothing, the London-based tech brand known for its sleek devices that bridge art, tech, fashion and music. Nothing recently unveiled the first earbuds with ChatGPT integration.
• Josh Miller, CEO of The Browser Company, makers of the delightful Arc web browser. Josh candidly shared his journey from AI skeptic to building one of Arc's most successful AI-powered features.
• Gustaf Söderström, Spotify's Co-President, CTO and CPO. Gustaf moderated the discussion and shared insights on how Spotify is thoughtfully integrating AI to enhance the user experience.

One key question is what form factors we will use to interact with AGI systems in the future. Will it be the smartphones, smartwatches, and wireless earbuds we use today? Or will entirely new form factors emerge to enable more seamless interactions?

Carl Pei believes that while experimentation with new form factors is important, changing user habits is very difficult. He argues the focus in the near-term should be on innovating the software experience on devices people already use and love, like smartphones and wireless earbuds.

Josh Miller noted that the newfound ability for computers to see, understand, and mimic human behaviors opens up possibilities to move beyond siloed apps to more dynamic, intent-based interactions. But he too was skeptical that AGI would necessitate an entirely new form factor in the near term.

The consensus view is that in the coming years, the path of least resistance is for AGI experiences to be integrated into the billions of phones, watches, and wireless earbuds already in use. The major mobile platforms seem well positioned to enable this. However, as AGI matures, the possibility for new form factors purpose-built for AGI interactions remains on the table.


Perhaps more important than the devices themselves is how the user interfaces and experiences will evolve as they are infused with AGI capabilities.

Today, we primarily interact with AI through simple chat interfaces. But as language models gain the ability to see and understand what's happening on our screens, an opportunity arises to break free of the legacy app-centric model and enable more intent-based interactions.

Imagine being able to tell your computer "I want to have lunch with Grace in New York" and having it seamlessly coordinate the details across your calendar, email, maps, and more - without you ever having to navigate a series of siloed apps. The AI would dynamically generate the ideal UI for the task at hand.

While this "zero UI" future may be appealing, the panel acknowledged the importance of familiarity and muscle memory with existing interfaces. Instagram and TikTok are not going away anytime soon. The likely path forward is a gradual one, where AGI experiences are thoughtfully integrated into the apps and interfaces we know and love today. Over time, more dynamic, intent-based interactions may become the norm.


The shift towards AGI-powered experiences creates opportunities for disruption. Incumbents may be constrained by existing revenue streams (e.g. ads) and the need to serve billions of users across a wide range of cultures and technical constraints. This creates an opening for startups to innovate and push the envelope with novel experiences tailored for narrower audiences.

Privacy-preserving machine learning techniques may enable new classes of localized AI experiences without data ever leaving the device. And the rise of large language models introduces marginal costs to previously fixed-cost software products, potentially enabling new business models (e.g. subscriptions vs. ads).

While the major platform owners seem advantageously positioned, the panel felt there are still ample opportunities for startups to stake a claim in the emerging AGI landscape through focused innovation and business model differentiation.


As the cost of writing code and performing cognitive tasks plummets with AGI, an explosion of productivity is possible. Much in the way the spreadsheet transformed knowledge work, AGI could usher in a cambrian explosion of new activities and experiences that were previously cost-prohibitive.

At the same time, Josh offered a contrarian take, musing whether AGI might paradoxically reduce screen time for some activities. If he can coordinate a lunch with a friend entirely through a quick voice interaction, does he really need to be glued to his laptop? Food for thought as we contemplate the societal implications of AGI.


The one certainty about the future of AGI is that it remains highly uncertain. We are in the early innings of a profound technological shift that will unfold over many years. What is clear is that we are on the cusp of a new era of computing, where the relationship between humans and machines will be redefined.

The thoughtful perspectives shared by Carl, Josh, and Gustaf provide a valuable framework for envisioning how AGI might shape the future of user interfaces and experiences. One thing is for sure - the years ahead will be filled with excitement, surprise, and profound change as AGI ushers in the next major platform shift. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!