Currently, there is a lot of discussion about a change in how the internet is used. Specifically, it concerns AI-generated answers to queries in search engines like Google.
In the past, search results were provided directly; for some time now, an AI-generated summary is displayed first. This includes the option to have a more detailed conversation with the AI about the searched topic. Often, the AI responses are already sufficient for those searching. As a result, websites are visited less frequently. This is problematic, at least if you understand the internet in the traditional way.
If a website is only accessed by AI to learn from its content, the question arises about the purpose of offerings such as blogs. The people for whom they are intended might not read them anymore.
In other cases, the situation is much more complicated because many online offerings are financed through advertising. Without visitors, there are no ads and thus no revenue.
So something is changing, as often happens in human history, and we are all witnessing it live.
Apple also presented such a change at its current developer conference WWDC ’26. Soon, all the apps that have accompanied us on our smartphones for years could become a thing of the past. Instead, interaction will take place only with a local AI on the smartphone. Input will come through voice, text or dynamically generated interfaces.
The AI will then autonomously handle the task and will not use apps designed for humans with their visual interfaces but will directly use APIs to the respective services and platforms.
This all strongly reminds me of “machine to machine” communication, requires strong APIs (API-first approach), and demands significantly fewer human interfaces.
So things are changing, and I am curious whether and how this will become part of our everyday lives.