Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon thinks AI agents could change how people use apps, but not because apps are about to disappear.
His argument is that an agent could become the layer people use first. If it understands what someone wants, connects to online services, and works across devices, the user may not need to open an app for every task.
In a CNBC interview, Amon said agents could become “the new app,” while also saying apps are “not dead.”
For businesses, the shift could change where product teams focus their work. If agents become the first layer users interact with, companies may need to think less about app screens alone and more about permissions, APIs, and whether their services are easy for agents to use safely.
Apps move into the background
Amon used banking as a simple example. Instead of opening a bank app, moving through menus, and checking transactions manually, a user could ask an AI agent to find the information or complete the task.
That does not mean the bank app or backend system goes away. The agent becomes the first layer the user talks to. The app still exists, but it may become less visible if the agent can reach the right service directly.
That is the most realistic version of Amon’s prediction. Apps are unlikely to vanish soon, especially in banking, healthcare, enterprise software, and other areas where authentication, audit trails, and user controls matter. But the starting point for common tasks could shift if agents become reliable enough.
For enterprises, that brings familiar questions into a new setting: who controls access, what data the agent can use, how actions are logged, and when a human must approve the next step. Those are already part of broader AI agent planning, especially when agents move beyond simple summaries into real actions.
Qualcomm wants the device layer
Amon’s comments also explain why Qualcomm is tying agents to hardware. CNBC reported that the company is working on more than 40 AI-powered device designs, including smart glasses, wearable pins, and camera-equipped earbuds.
Those devices matter because useful agents need context. A phone can provide location, messages, apps, and identity. Glasses and earbuds can add visual and audio signals. Cars and PCs can add more detail about what a person is doing and what they may need next.
Qualcomm’s biggest opportunity may be the devices where these agents run. If agents run partly on phones, PCs, cars, glasses, and earbuds instead of only in the cloud, chips with strong on-device AI performance become more important. Qualcomm has already been pushing that direction in PCs, robotics, and connected hardware, including its Snapdragon X2 Plus and robotics work.
The smart glasses market is another place where Qualcomm can put that strategy into practice. Snap recently tapped Qualcomm for next-generation AI glasses, and Amon has pointed to smart glasses as one place where agents could become more useful.
The challenge is that the agent vision still depends on pieces that are not settled. Platforms must allow enough access for agents to work across services. Users must trust agents with personal tasks. Enterprises must set rules for identity, permissions, and oversight.
Amon’s claim is bold, but a more realistic version is this: apps are not going away, but more of their work could move behind agent-driven interfaces. If that happens, Qualcomm wants its chips inside the devices where those agents listen, see, and act.
Also read: Robinhood’s AI agent tools raise new questions about autonomous trading and spending.