In this new age of the AI revolution, AI agents—advanced bots that not only chat but complete entire tasks—are poised to transform how we interact with technology and reshape industries.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently gave a keynote address at the Nvidia AI Summit in Japan, where he discussed the emerging shift in AI technology. According to Huang, we are entering a new age of AI, one where two distinct types of AI—physical AI, such as robots, and digital AI, which understands, plans, and acts—will transform how we live and work. These digital AI agents are not just tools; they’re intelligent systems capable of becoming workers, teammates, and even lifelong companions, playing a pivotal role in virtually every aspect of our lives.
Imagine telling your AI agent, “Plan my London trip,” and it seamlessly books flights, hotels, and event tickets without you lifting a finger. Or consider the rise of medical agents tailored to your lifestyle and location. Huang predicts the emergence of personal agents for everyone—what he calls your “Personal Aristotle”—an AI partner who grows with you, understands your history, and helps you navigate life.
Imagine telling your AI agent, “Plan my London trip,” and it seamlessly books flights, hotels, and event tickets without you lifting a finger.
With Google DeepMind's Project Mariner, built on Gemini 2.0 launching yesterday, progressing alongside OpenAI’s advancing agents, the race to lead in agentic AI is accelerating.
For UX designers, however, this raises an urgent question: Where does this leave us?"
Websites vs. AI Agents
Today, websites are often complex and frustrating. Inconsistencies across browsers, devices, and operating systems lead to clunky interfaces, forcing users to navigate through endless tabs and comparison sites to find the best deal. AI agents promise a radically smoother experience by aggregating data, analysing reviews, and delivering optimised results instantly.
But what happens to interface design when AI does all the work?
Evolving Beyond Buttons
In the next 10–20 years, traditional interface design—screens, menus, and buttons—could become obsolete. As technologies advance, interactions through gestures, voice commands, facial expressions, and even brain activity may take precedence. With GPUs modeled after the human brain, direct brain-computer interaction seems a natural progression. Regardless of the method, clunky interfaces and tedious navigation will likely become relics of the past.
UX design isn’t going anywhere—it will evolve, albeit gradually. While technology advances rapidly, large-scale adoption takes time. Even in an AI-driven world, businesses must listen to users and refine their digital experiences. This process will drive the adoption of new technologies and shape how we interact with them. UX designers will remain essential, playing a pivotal role in:
- Building Trust: How can AI agents clearly communicate that their decisions are trustworthy?
- Streamlining Transparency: Users will want to understand why an AI makes certain decisions, like choosing a particular flight or hotel.
- Managing Errors: When something goes wrong, how can designers create intuitive fallback mechanisms?
- Shaping AI Personalities: Should AI agents have human-like personalities, or should they be hyper-personalised without one?
- Communicating System Status and Health: How can AI agents effectively communicate the status and health of their system?
- Minimalist Design: How can users retain control to edit inputs and manipulate outputs in different ways?
- Routine Interactions: Methods to automate recurring questions and tasks, or easily recall past interactions and decisions.
UX frameworks, such as the NN/g 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design, will remain valuable, even as we move toward immersive AI interfaces. While specific heuristics may evolve, core design principles like clarity, efficiency, and consistency will still guide the development of AI-powered experiences.
Designers must focus on creating intuitive, user-friendly interactions, ensuring that AI systems are not only functional but also aligned with human needs and behaviors. By applying these fundamental design principles, UX professionals can ensure that the future of AI-driven interfaces remains accessible and engaging for users.
Huang's Perspective on Jobs and AI
Software is no longer just a tool—it has become a workforce of digital employees, capable of thinking and completing tasks. This new wave of AI, driven by neural networks, large language models (LLMs), and autonomous agents, is contributing directly to global economies. AI is joining the workforce and reshaping industries, from IT to healthcare to entertainment.
Huang reassures us that these advancements shouldn’t spark fears about job displacement. No can do 100% of anyone's job, but they can handle up to 50% of the workload. This, he argues, is the real breakthrough. Instead of replacing jobs, AI will augment human capabilities, doing half of the work and freeing people to focus on higher-value tasks. As Huang emphasises, “AI will not take your job. AI used by somebody else will take your job."
Looking Ahead
As AI becomes an integral part of our daily lives, future generations will inherit a world where technology isn’t just a tool but a true partner. Thinking about my daughter growing up with her own digital twin—an AI that understands her personal history and supports her throughout life—is both exciting and sobering.
AI’s true potential lies in amplifying human capabilities, not replacing jobs. It will help us perform tasks more efficiently, offer personalised insights, and transform how we work and learn. The future of UX design will focus on creating experiences that empower users in a world enhanced by AI.
As my colleagues have highlighted in their articles on the AI revolution, The Future of SaaS and SEO to AIO, the role of a UX designer is evolving. We are shaping a future where AI works alongside humans in harmony, creating opportunities once thought unimaginable.
