Amazon Devices Chief Says AI Could Make Apps Less Central

Panos Panay, Amazon’s senior vice president of Devices, Alexa & Leo, said AI-enabled products could handle more tasks without apps, though he expects smartphones to remain important to personal computing.

Speaking Thursday, Panay described ambient devices that use sensors and AI in the background to help identify what needs to be done. Instead of remembering which tool to ask or opening an app for each task, users could get help from devices that recognize a need and surface useful information. He said the approach could let people stay present and spend less time directing their tools.

Panay sees a future in which people may ask technology to understand what they need instead of requesting a particular app. “I think there’s an intelligence layer that connects it all … and it has to be useful,” he said. He described that layer as a way to connect different devices, rather than a shift to one product type.

Amazon’s two Bee devices offer examples of this approach. One is a band that can be worn on the wrist or detached and used as a pendant. The other is a credit-card-size accessory that attaches magnetically to a smartphone. The devices capture conversations to create notes and surface possible to-dos, reminders and insights for later use.

Bee does not store raw audio. It processes audio in real time and deletes it when processing is finished. Conversation transcripts are encrypted with keys created and controlled by the user’s device. Others, including Amazon employees, cannot access the files unless the user chooses to share them.

Panay said he does not expect one device form to replace another. Smartphones will remain part of personal computing, he said, as sensors and AI connect devices and bring assistance into more settings. His comments describe a possible direction for personal technology, rather than an immediate end to apps or phones.