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Building Your New Edge App: Thinking AI Modality First Over Traditional UI Experience

Writer's picture: SaranyaSaranya

Is it UI/UX or AI/UX
Is it UI/UX or AI/UX

The evolution of application development is shifting towards AI-first design, prioritizing modality-driven interactions over conventional UI experiences. This paradigm shift is poised to redefine workflows, app releases, user habits, and even hardware architectures. In this article, we explore the benefits of AI-first app development and its far-reaching implications.


Why AI Modality First?

Traditional UI-driven applications rely on predefined layouts and user interactions. However, an AI modality-first approach leverages natural language processing, voice commands, predictive automation, and adaptive interfaces to create a more seamless and intuitive user experience.

This brings several benefits:

  • Enhanced Accessibility: AI-driven interfaces enable hands-free interactions and cater to diverse user needs.

  • Personalized Experience: AI adapts to user behaviors, making applications smarter over time.

  • Efficiency & Speed: Context-aware responses reduce manual inputs and improve task execution.


How App Design Workflow Changes

Switching to AI-first modality transforms traditional workflows:

  • Conceptualization: Shift from static UI wireframes to dynamic interaction models.

  • Prototyping: More focus on AI training, voice recognition, and contextual decision-making.

  • Development: Prioritizing AI model training over UI component development.

  • Testing: Emphasis on adaptive behavior testing rather than fixed layout validations.


Impact on Releases & Planning as a Product Manager

  • Shorter Iterations: Continuous AI model improvements drive faster releases.

  • Data-Centric Development: AI-driven feedback loops influence future updates.

  • New Metrics for Success: Engagement is measured through interaction efficiency rather than UI clicks.


Can Workflows Be Automated?

Absolutely. AI-driven apps reduce human intervention by automating workflows using:

  • AI-Orchestrated Task Execution

  • Predictive Data Analysis for Decision-Making

  • Natural Language Automation of Repetitive Tasks


Will CI/CD Differ?

Yes, AI-first applications necessitate changes in CI/CD pipelines:

  • Model Versioning: Continuous AI model updates need dedicated tracking.

  • Real-Time Data Testing: CI/CD will incorporate live user feedback loops.

  • Automated Performance Scaling: Deployment strategies will focus on AI workload balancing.


Expected Changes in User Habits

Users will transition from UI-driven behaviors to:

  • Voice & Gesture Commands over taps and clicks.

  • Conversational AI Interactions instead of navigation-based usage.

  • Proactive App Engagement where AI anticipates and assists without user initiation.


Cost Implications for App Development

While AI-first apps may have higher initial development costs due to model training and data processing, they provide long-term savings by reducing:

  • UI/UX design overhead

  • Maintenance costs due to automated adaptability

  • Customer support reliance through AI assistance


Are Micro or Nano Apps the Future?

Yes, AI-first development paves the way for lightweight micro or nano applications:

  • Task-Specific Mini Apps: Single-purpose AI agents replace full-fledged applications.

  • Device-Agnostic Apps: AI functions run independently across multiple platforms.

  • Decentralized AI Processing: Edge computing enables efficient, low-latency AI interactions.


Impact on Mobile Phones & Device Architectures

As AI-first apps become mainstream, device hardware will evolve:

  • Increased AI Processing Units (APUs): More on-device AI computation.

  • Reduced Screen Dependency: Devices may shift towards voice-first or gesture-first interfaces.

  • Battery & Storage Optimization: Smaller, AI-powered apps will consume fewer resources.


Our Ongoing AI-First App Development Effort

We are actively working with one of our business partner to build an AI-first application. This journey is an ongoing learning experience, requiring significant changes in development processes, cost optimization strategies, and meticulous planning. The shift to AI-first design presents both challenges and opportunities, and we are discovering new insights every day. If you're interested in discussing this transformation further, connect with us—we'd love to share our experiences and explore potential collaborations.


A Very Interesting Future Ahead

The AI modality-first approach will redefine how we build, interact with, and experience applications. This shift is not just a technological upgrade—it’s an evolution in the way we think about human-computer interaction, productivity, and automation. The time to embrace AI-first design thinking is now!

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