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What Jakob Nielsen thinks about AI agents

@jakob-nielsen · 19 positions · 0 changes of mind

Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and founder of UX Tigers; author of the ten usability heuristics and of Jakob's Law.

Everything they publish, on ppll ↗

Jakob Nielsen did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

3 dated positions, 2025 to 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Jakob Nielsen has said — not written or endorsed by them.

3 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

  1. Our readingThe winning system of the next decade will be the one that best understands the user's job to be done and shows what it is about to do, not the one with the prettiest buttons or fewest screens.

    Their wordsThe winning system of the next decade will not be the one with the most aesthetically pleasing buttons, nor will it be the one with the fewest screens. It will be the system that best understands the human’s “job to be done,” autonomously selects the right tools on their behalf, clearly shows the user what is about to happen, and gracefully recovers when the user’s context is incomplete or ambiguous.

    ↗Intent by Discovery: Designing the AI User Experiencejakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    Interesting
  2. 11 months earlier

  3. Our readingUX does not die when the interface disappears; it becomes the design of policies, protocols and orchestration of what AI does on the user's behalf.

    Their wordsSo no, UX doesn’t die; it metamorphoses. We’ll still craft humane experiences, but increasingly through policies, protocols, and orchestrations rather than panels and palettes.

    ↗No More User Interface?jakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    design

    Interesting
  4. 2 months earlier

  5. Our readingAI agents will end traditional UI design and accessibility, because users will stop visiting websites and act only through their agent.

    Their wordsOnce, humans navigated the web manually. In the future, AI agents will act on our behalf, browsing, clicking, and deciding. This shift marks the end of traditional UI design and accessibility, ushering in a future where agents are the primary users of digital services.

    ↗Hello AI Agents: Goodbye UI Design, RIP Accessibilityjakobnielsenphd.substack.com

    design

    Interesting