App-less future: Will AI take over smartphones?
World without apps: Will AI become the new operating system?
We used to buy new smartphones to access better apps. Today, the priority has shifted — now it’s all about getting a better AI assistant. But what if apps become obsolete altogether? Not because they fail to perform their functions, but because something smarter takes their place.
The end of the app era?
Tether’s CEO Paolo Ardoino suggests that future devices may no longer need app stores — or even pre-installed apps. Instead, they will come equipped with built-in AI capable of generating interfaces and functions on the fly. Require a photo editor? You won’t pick one from a marketplace — your device will generate a tool tailored specifically to you. At first glance, it sounds like a futuristic exaggeration. But if you pause and take a closer look, the foundations are already in place.
LLMs can write functional code. New chips can process language and visuals locally. And peer-to-peer architecture is no longer a relic of the 2000s, but a rising model for privacy and security.
Rethinking personalization
Ardoino’s concept touches several major ideas: personalization, autonomy, and radically new communication. If AI can truly adapt interfaces in real time based on individual needs, concerns about compatibility, updates, or UI design will fade away. We’ll stop downloading apps and start interacting with tasks instead: “make me a notepad,” “show me the weather,” “optimize my spending.” All of this — without a single tap on the App Store or Google Play.
Loading...
What’s striking is that the vision isn’t just about productivity. Ardoino also sees a shift in how we communicate. Instead of standardized messaging apps and rigid protocols, AI agents could negotiate formats in real time. In this world, users no longer adapt to the platform — the platform adapts to how people want to interact.
What about privacy and trust?
It sounds promising — but it also raises tough questions. Who controls the assistant? Where will the data be stored? Can we really trust AI to make decisions for us? This is where Ardoino’s techno-optimism intersects with a deeper philosophical dilemma: the balance between machine autonomy and human oversight.
Some answers lie in the architecture itself. These assistants are meant to work locally — without access to centralized servers. All computations should happen directly on the device. Combined with peer-to-peer networks, this setup could maintain user privacy, even as the AI processes large volumes of personal data. But the keyword here is “should.” There’s a gap between what’s technically possible and what becomes standard in practice. Bridging that gap will be the true test.
Is it realistic?
Could we see such a system within the next 5 to 15 years, as Ardoino suggests? Most likely — yes. The technical groundwork is already in motion: AI models are shrinking, devices are getting stronger, and demand for local-first solutions is growing. What looks like a cutting-edge experiment today could become tomorrow’s default. But this transformation won’t be driven by engineering alone — it will require ethical, legal, and cultural adaptation.
Giving control back to the user
Still, Ardoino’s vision doesn’t read like sci-fi. If anything, it feels like the natural next step in the evolution of current trends — especially in the context of Web3, where data ownership, decentralization, and privacy take center stage. If a device can operate independently of centralized infrastructure, it gives control back to the user.
Loading...
So maybe a future without apps isn’t a utopia — just the logical evolution of an idea. Not a revolution, but a slow rethinking of what digital experiences could be. And maybe the next groundbreaking device won’t have a single icon — but it might know more about us than any app ever has.
