Observed Signal · Jul 15, 2026 · Technical Release · Source: UX Collective · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Interaction Models / Conversational UX Market: AI Demands New Interaction Models for Designers
The article argues that recent multimodal AI models are changing the fundamental grammar of software interaction, shifting interfaces from task-driven, turn-taking flows to continuous, intent-driven exchanges. It highlights a research preview from Thinking Machines Lab that demonstrates real-time multimodal 'interaction models' which can listen, see, and respond across audio, video, and text while building interfaces (a generative UI) on the fly. The author outlines design implications — rebuilding mental models, new entry/navigation conventions, deliberate intervention points, and routing judgment to humans — particularly for enterprise contexts that require auditability and accountability.
Discusses design implications of new multimodal, real-time AI interaction models that affect product and UX teams; notable but not a major platform or regulatory shift.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Thinking Machines Lab released a research preview called Interaction Models demonstrating real-time multimodal exchange (audio, video, and text) and on-the-spot interface generation.
- The article’s author, Arin Bhowmick, is Chief Design Officer at SAP.
- A paper from TCS Research, “Can LLMs Perceive Time?”, found top models estimate task duration four to seven times too high and cannot accurately report how long their own work took.
- The demo examples include generative UI creation (e.g., building a chart of Uber’s earnings and costs while continuing the conversation).
Connected Companies & Entities
8 Entities mappedTCS (Tata Consultancy Services)
Enterprise IT services and software platforms for large organisations.
Amazon
Global commerce, cloud, advertising and subscription platform company.
“Conversational interaction in software has been around for quite some time (we’ve all used Alexa, Siri, and chatbots), but only within scrip...”
Apple
Consumer electronics giant with integrated software, services and advertising platforms.
“Conversational interaction in software has been around for quite some time (we’ve all used Alexa, Siri, and chatbots), but only within scrip...”
Thinking Machines Lab
Builds multimodal foundation models and fine-tuning infrastructure.
“While writing this article, I read that Thinking Machines Lab , an AI startup founded by Mira Murati (the former CTO of OpenAI), released a ...”
SAP
German enterprise software provider for ERP, finance, procurement and CX.
“_Arin Bhowmick_ ( @arinbhowmick ) is Chief Design Officer at SAP, based in San Francisco, California....”
Uber
Mobility, delivery, logistics and advertising platform with subscription layer.
“In one clip, two people ask it to build a chart of Uber’s earnings and costs....”
Medium
Subscription-based digital publishing platform for readers and writers.
“Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer....”
OpenAI
Foundation model company selling AI software, APIs and subscriptions.
“While writing this article, I read that Thinking Machines Lab , an AI startup founded by Mira Murati (the former CTO of OpenAI), released a ...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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