What Carl Pei said at SXSW

At the SXSW conference, Nothing founder Carl Pei said that traditional smartphone apps will eventually "disappear," giving way to AI agents — systems that perform tasks on behalf of the user. His logic is that if a product's value is built around a standalone app, that approach will sooner or later be displaced by automated agents that interact directly with services.

"Apps on smartphones will disappear, and they will be replaced by AI agents"

— Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing (talk at SXSW)

How it will work — briefly

The transition is described in stages: first AI executes individual commands (booking tickets, ordering a taxi), then it understands user intent and suggests solutions, and ultimately it acts proactively based on habits and goals. In other words, the interface gradually shifts from "screen→user" to "agent→service," where the person sets goals and the agent carries them out.

Why this matters for you and for Ukraine

Data security and sovereignty. An agent operates through access to large amounts of personal data and services. If these agents are controlled by foreign platforms, the issue of digital independence becomes critical for national security.

Economy and the labor market. The model will change developers' business models: instead of selling standalone apps, services and platforms that can integrate agents will win. For Ukrainian startups this is both a risk and an opportunity — they can build local agents or adapt solutions to European data requirements.

Defense and technological advantage. At the same time, Ukraine is rolling out the Defense AI Center "A1", which will work with data and algorithms. If the state and defense enterprises can develop their own agent solutions, this will improve responsiveness and reduce dependence on external platforms.

Risks and opportunities

Risks include centralized access to data, potential leaks, and dependence on a few large providers. Opportunities include improved convenience, automation of routine processes, and new services for business and government. At the same time, OpenAI is already adjusting ChatGPT's interaction model based on user feedback, which shows that questions of responsibility and control over agents are not theoretical but practical challenges.

What Ukraine should do

Analysts agree the response must be systemic: invest in local AI infrastructure, implement rules for data access, support national developers of agents, and integrate these technologies into defense and critical infrastructure. This is a chance to turn a technological shift into a factor of security and economic growth, rather than a source of vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

Moving from apps to AI agents brings both new opportunities and new threats. The ball is now in the court of policymakers, businesses, and technical communities — can we ensure that the next platform works for the benefit of citizens and the state, rather than undermining their digital autonomy?