> Even if an LLM could provide me with a recipe that perfectly suits what I’m looking for, I wouldn’t want to give up the experience of using a recipe search engine and browsing through a large collection of recipes. Even if an LLM could provide me with restaurant recommendations based on my preferences, I’d still seek out a map-based UX for exploring the variety present in my vicinity. The desire to replace all UX with LLMs seems like a desire to replace all serendipity with efficiency, and I think (or hope) that such a transition is much more appealing in theory than it would be in practice.
I guess the question is: how much of our web or software use is leisurely browsing (reading news or HN would be other likely candidates for this category) and how much is more task-like, e.g. send a message to some friends, add a note to a specific list, order some groceries?
We might also want to consider how much of a role such private use of software plays in shaping UX trends. If business software (sheets, Photoshop, CAD etc.) can be sped up with chat input, it will be, and people will be expected to use the quickest UI.
This is not to say that browsing will disappear, but I can totally see it being relegated to a second class UI in the long run, even in applications where it's currently the obvious choice, just because our default UX expectations will be different.
> If business software (sheets, Photoshop, CAD etc.) can be sped up with chat input, it will be, and people will be expected to use the quickest UI.
I have a hard time seeing chat input become the primary UI for that class of applications, unless you can delegate complete tasks to it. As an analogy, for driving a car, I can see voice commands replacing the steering wheel if we reach full self-driving capabilities, but absent that, the steering wheel and gas/breaking pedals will remain the more efficient and practical UI (even ignoring safety concerns).
I think the biggest change will be users will increase my parents don't know how to use Photoshop are not tech inclined they won't be touching up photos of their grand child. But give them an option of just asking the app to do something and they will as the learning curve goes down dramatically
> I guess the question is: how much of our web or software use is leisurely browsing
I think the author's sentiment here is different. There's a personal subjectiveness when it comes to things like recipes. It could come down to the presentation (photos, narrative), an added ingredient in one that piques your interest and curiosity (a chili recipe with dark cocoa powder?!), or other subjective difference that is experienced differently by each of us.
The other aspect is mental bookmarking or "what ifs". Maybe I'll try this recipe this time, but I might come across other recipes I want to try some other time or I'll find an author that I really vibe with. That process of discovery is lost with LLMs today
I guess the question is: how much of our web or software use is leisurely browsing (reading news or HN would be other likely candidates for this category) and how much is more task-like, e.g. send a message to some friends, add a note to a specific list, order some groceries?
We might also want to consider how much of a role such private use of software plays in shaping UX trends. If business software (sheets, Photoshop, CAD etc.) can be sped up with chat input, it will be, and people will be expected to use the quickest UI.
This is not to say that browsing will disappear, but I can totally see it being relegated to a second class UI in the long run, even in applications where it's currently the obvious choice, just because our default UX expectations will be different.