There will be a point where we build systems so good at computer use that they become better and faster than you at everyday tasks.
There will be this weird transition period like we have with full self driving cars where they don’t really need a steering wheel anymore.
Eventually you may not need all that much software. Will your phone ship without a keyboard? Without an app store?
You won’t need to go looking for that photo from 3 years ago you want to show your friend in a conversation. These things will just be able to pull it up in milliseconds.
Some might argue this is an example of voice being the next interface, perhaps in this case it is. For your input; yes, but the output isn't. It is a list of options, of “best matches”.
Maybe this makes me think constantly listening devices will be a norm, talk about it, pull it up instantly. The system could have agency and find it first, then you just tap approve to show the friend.
See Voice is not the ideal interface.
Stepping into their world
I guess the other pain point is that currently in this situation you must pull out your glass rectangle from your pocket, unlock it, tap away quietly for a while, and then the both of you hunch over it. Not great.
AR glasses would mean you just render the image in shared space together. I wonder if there will be some sort of social norm when you meet up with people you both sync digital layers. You occupy the same physical space so you would agree to occupy the same digital space.
Making it very easy to send/sync digital elements between you. Share directions when walking somewhere, maybe share “digital presets” (such as adblock overlays, info popups, or even both of your agent systems can chat, like Daemons in the Northern Lights) that you have configured. It would be like stepping into their world.
Is there a system where you add a kind of sync lock between two people to agree they are both looking at one another with nothing else on the display!
What info do they choose to receive/display to strangers “on their layer”?
See Layers.
Apparently Steve Mann had already thought of this!