Nothing CEO Carl Pei says smartphone apps will eventually disappear as AI agents learn a user’s intentions and carry out tasks across services. Instead of opening messages, maps, ride-hailing, and calendars to arrange coffee, the user would state an intention and let the device coordinate the steps. The proposal sounds convenient because it removes the visible sequence that currently makes a phone legible.

That sequence also provides a record of agency. An app shows which company received a request, which price was offered, and which permission was used. An agent that moves through private interfaces on a user’s behalf compresses those decisions into an answer that may look effortless. The phone becomes less like a collection of rooms and more like a concierge with access to every door. For the system to act without mimicking human taps, companies will need interfaces designed for agents, along with rules for identity, consent, and liability. The app may disappear from view while its contracts remain active underneath. Convenience will be measured in fewer screens, but responsibility will have to travel through the hidden steps.