Hey there,

a strange question has been echoing in my mind lately:

Do we still need apps, websites, and user interfaces?

Or are we entering a world where those things slowly disappear?

If you’d asked me this even two years ago, the answer would have seemed obvious. Of course we need them. They’re how we do things online. They give us structure. Buttons to click. Pages to explore. A place to go.

But now?

I’m not so sure.

Let me explain.

The Rise of the Invisible Interface

More and more of what we used to do in apps or on websites is now being done in chat.

Not just messaging, but real tasks:

Writing code. Summarizing PDFs. Making playlists. Troubleshooting problems. Drafting contracts. Learning.

And we’re not navigating complex UIs to do this. We’re just talking. Typing a few sentences, and watching magic happen.

There’s no app to learn. No UI to memorize. No visual layout to decipher.

Just a conversation, like talking to a friend who happens to be an expert in almost anything.

Let me give you an example from yesterday. I was walking through the park, talking to ChatGPT through my earbuds. Phone in my pocket. No screen. Just me and a voice working through a problem together.

It felt completely natural. Like having a conversation with a smart friend who’s always available.

I thought: This is the future we’re building. Technology that doesn’t feel like technology at all.

So here’s the big question: If that’s possible, if you can just say what you want and it gets done, what role does a traditional UI play in that world?

Websites, Apps, and the Illusion of Control

Websites and apps gave us structure. They helped us feel in control. You knew what to expect: a homepage, a menu, a form, a button.

But they also came with friction.

You had to learn how each one worked. Navigate tabs. Sign up. Deal with layout changes every time someone redesigned something “for better UX.”

Now imagine skipping all of that.

Just asking for what you want. And getting it.

It’s not just faster. It’s more human. It’s how we think.

And that’s what is happening at the moment: Technology is starting to adapt to us, not the other way around.

The Hidden Power of Not Having to “Use” Anything

Most of the time, when we “use” technology, we’re not really focused on the goal. We’re just trying to remember where the settings button is.

What happens when that disappears?

What happens when technology no longer requires us to use it because it becomes an extension of thought?

Instead of: Open Google → Search → Scan articles → Compare → Summarize…

We now have: “Explain this topic to me like I’m 12.” Done.

That’s a huge leap in speed and simplicity.

But it’s also a huge shift in what we expect from software.

If I can get the outcome without the app, why would I ever go back to using it?

So, Do We Still Need UI?

Yes and no.

Here’s what I believe:

We need UI when the journey is important.

Some tasks are visual, exploratory, or creative. You want to see the data, design the thing, tweak the layout. For example: Photoshop. Video editing. Dashboards. Games.

We don’t need UI when the goal is clarity or speed.

If the task is about answering, summarizing, planning, automating, then a conversation is faster, easier, and more natural.

We will need new kinds of interfaces.

Blended ones. Tools where chat and UI work together. Where you can click and drag when you want, and chat when you don’t know what to do next.

So it’s about UI evolving into something more fluid, flexible, and invisible when needed.

Two Paths Forward

I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I see only two ways this will play out:

Path 1:

Chat interfaces become the primary way we interact with technology. The context and language adapt to each user. Your AI knows your style, your level of expertise, your preferences. It speaks your language, literally and figuratively. Think ChatGPT’s voice mode that remembers your conversation style and adjusts its responses based on how technical or casual you want to be.

Path 2:

We start building dynamic UIs that can adapt in real time. Interfaces that morph based on who you are, what you need, and how you work. Not a one-size-fits-all layout, but a personalized experience that changes with you. Imagine a dashboard that completely rearranges itself based on whether you’re a beginner or expert, showing only the tools and data relevant to your current task.

Maybe it’s both.

It will not happen overnight, but the static, rigid interfaces we’ve been building for decades are already changing. Ok, let me now set a reminder in my calendar to revisit this topic in 5 and 10 years. 😊

So What Does This Mean

If you’re building something, a product, service, or experience, here’s the new challenge:

Don’t just ask: “What will the UI look like?”

Ask: “Can this be done without UI at all?”

Could it be solved through conversation? Through automation? Through memory?

The less friction, the better.

And ironically, that means “less interface” is better.

I think we’re no longer designing static pages. We’re designing outcomes.

This means rethinking everything:

• How do users discover your product if there’s no website to visit?
• How do you build trust through conversation instead of visual branding?
• How do you handle complex workflows when there are no buttons to guide users?

These aren’t easy questions. But they’re important if you’re thinking a bit ahead.

But Let’s Not Forget the Flip Side

Like every change, this one comes with trade-offs.

When the UI disappears, so can transparency.

When everything’s done through chat, you might stop questioning how something was done. Or why. Or what assumptions were baked in.

When tech becomes invisible, we risk losing control.

Just because we’re not clicking buttons doesn’t mean we should stop thinking.

If AI becomes the sole gateway to information, who decides what you see? If there’s no interface to explore, no links, no friction to slow you down, you’re trusting the system completely.

That’s the future. But it’s also dangerous.

Sam Altman and Jony Ive are raising $6.5 billion to build “ambient computing.” Glasses. Earbuds. Wearables. Constant, invisible intelligence surrounding us.

Their goal? Eliminate all frictions.

But sometimes friction is freedom.

Pauses force us to decide. Delays make us reflect. Those tiny moments are where we choose consciously instead of being nudged.

Just remember how Netflix “nudged” you into the next episode. 😉

So while we build these new seamless experiences, we also need to build trust, feedback loops, and ways to see behind the curtain when it matters.

Convenience is great. But consciousness still matters.

Final Thought: The UI of the Mind

Maybe we’re heading into a future where the primary UI isn’t visual at all.

It’s conversational. Personal. Contextual. Almost invisible.

It feels more like a relationship than an interface. More like collaborating than clicking.

And the real design challenge won’t be pixels or layout. It’ll be how we shape interactions that respect the user’s intent, privacy, and ultimately, being human.

So UI will still be here.

But it’s changing.

Let me close with the opening question to nudge you into further thinking:

Do we still need apps, websites, and UI?

Talk soon, Primož

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Try this: Next time you reach for an app or website, pause and ask: “Could I do this through a conversation instead?” Notice how often the answer is yes.