AI is not just about smarter search engines or chatbots that write poems. According to Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, it could make a whole bunch of apps irrelevant. Andrew Bosworth believes AI will become the new way we interact with software. And he is not being subtle about the impact.
Right now, you open an app to get something done. You want music? Open Spotify. Need directions? Open Google Maps. But Bosworth says this might not last.
With AI, you won’t need to pick the app at all. You will just ask for what you want, and the AI will do it for you, choosing the best tool behind the scenes.
The Death of the App Icon?
If AI handles everything for you, you don’t see brand names anymore. You don’t care which app is doing the work. All you care about is the result. That is great for users. But a huge problem for companies that rely on you remembering their names.
NBC / Meta CTO Bosworth calls this shift a “net positive.” Apps like Spotify, Netflix, and many others rely on branding to keep you coming back.
But if AI steps in as the middleman, the brand could disappear from view entirely.
Why AI Is Taking Over the Front End
This change is not coming out of nowhere. AI is evolving fast. The new generation of tools is actually doing things. They are booking flights, managing your calendar, and even suggesting dinner.
That is why companies are feeling the heat. A recent study by AlixPartners says more than 100 midmarket software companies are already under pressure. They are getting squeezed by startups built entirely around AI and by giants like Microsoft and Salesforce, who are dumping billions into the tech.
What Happens to Software Companies?
Imagine you are running a mid-size company selling a solid app for project management. Then, along comes an AI tool that just takes care of the task without asking what platform you want to use. Suddenly, your whole pitch, your brand, your UX, and your pricing don’t matter anymore.
Bert / Pexels / AI doesn’t care what app it uses. It only cares what works. That is efficient for users, but brutal for businesses.
If your app is just one of many that does the job, and AI can pick any of them, you have lost your edge. And if the AI has its own built-in solution? You are done.
Even big companies are not safe. They have built their empires on subscriptions and user data, but if users no longer interact directly with their platforms, those models start to crumble. No eyeballs on the screen means no ad revenue, and no direct engagement means fewer upsells.
AI Personalizes It!
Bosworth’s main point is this: AI will take over the front end of technology. You will talk to the AI, and the AI will talk to the tools. And most of the time, you won’t even know which app it used. You will get what you asked for: Fast, smooth, invisible.
This changes how we think about software. Right now, apps are like storefronts. You go to Spotify for music, Netflix for movies, and so on. But AI flips that. Now, the storefront disappears. You just say what you want, and the AI fetches it from the back.
If you are a user, that sounds amazing. No more swiping through dozens of apps. No more remembering logins or hunting for updates. Just results.
