AI Will Kill the Smartphone—and Maybe the Screen Entirely
You wake up and instead of immediately checking your phone, you activate various wearables embedded within your body and begin interacting with inanimate objects through a series of conversations. You perform fluid, Minority Report–style gestures in the air, blinking frequently. Devices power on, tasks get accomplished, and your day starts without the need for a smartphone at all.
Many people have big predictions about AI, focusing on doomsday scenarios or worrying about job losses, but these forecasts often miss the most obvious and visible transformation AI will bring to society. Currently, we operate under the unrelenting dominance of screens that are omnipresent. In an AI-driven era, these screens will thankfully diminish, freeing us from their tyranny.
AI won’t merely replace the phone; it has the potential to liberate us from screens entirely. Surprisingly, this shift isn’t widely discussed, though Sam Altman has remarked on how rare a new computing paradigm is, emphasizing its inevitability despite seeming impossible initially. Just as a smartphone was once a far-fetched idea, the coming revolution toward a screen-less interaction model is likely 15 years away but already in motion.
We’re moving away from texting AI and toward actual spoken conversations with them. Devices like the iPhone side button now activate AI assistants with voice rather than traditional commands. Soon, people will engage AI agents, install AI speakers at home, and wear AI-powered recording devices, paving the way for highly integrated AI interfaces across all environments—from cars and smart appliances to service counters and public kiosks. Voice interaction is poised to become the dominant mode of AI use.
However, change demands a game-changing product to supplant existing technology. OpenAI appears to be at the forefront, having recruited top talent from Apple’s manufacturing and wearables teams, with Jony Ive leading secret projects likely aimed at creating an innovative, always-on AI companion device. Inspired by the film “Her,” where the protagonist falls for a chatbot, OpenAI is reportedly designing an anti-smartphone with a seductive AI voice interface, though whether it will be wearable remains uncertain.
It is surprising if the new device is not a wearable, given Apple’s success with AirPods and their widespread acceptance. Ive is known for redesigning rather than inventing from scratch, making an in-ear AI assistant a logical step. On the other hand, some companies still emphasize screen-based smart home products. Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, and others continue to incorporate displays, while Meta invests in smart glasses—though such glasses are unlikely to gain universal adoption. Even devices like Rabbit r1, which rely on voice, still include screens, reflecting lingering screen habits.
In reality, screens have always been a clumsy and limiting interface, an unavoidable intermediary step. A majority of people, including a large percentage of teens, recognize screens as inconvenient. They slow down our interaction with technology and cannot endure indefinitely.
Envision a world without screens: no smudges, no cracked glass, no aching thumbs or necks. Visual content won’t be confined to vertical displays but will be projected onto surfaces or directly into our eyes, creating an immersive experience. This future will transform maps, interiors, and how we explore the world. Once considered dull, audio tours will be revitalized, as our environment becomes a vast museum. We will wander freely, pointing, gazing, and talking constantly—engaging with machines, our surroundings, and even ourselves—all without ever needing a screen.
