AI is transforming the way we work in so many ways, from searching and researching to coding and creating. But there’s one concept that AI is changing that I think doesn’t receive the attention it deserves.
Writing a prompt to generate an output was a novel concept when OpenAI released the first public version of ChatGPT in 2023. Today, almost everyone is comfortable crafting a prompt as if it were second nature. But when I speak with people, the conversation is on the output, not the input.
Here’s my thought. The prompt is the new user interface. While Apple and Google work on updated design systems for their aging operating systems, OpenAI (and the majority of other LLM makers) have realized that the prompt is how we interact with their systems.
This idea was reinforced for me yesterday during OpenAI’s DevDay 2025 keynote. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman introduced its new Apps SDK that lets developers build full-fledged, interactive web apps that run inside ChatGPT conversations. Not only is the prompt the interface, but now ChatGPT is the operating system.
It reminded me of one of my favourite scenes from “Seinfeld”.
Kramer gets a new phone number, which is one digit off from the Moviefone number. He’s got time, so he starts answering the calls and fielding inquiries from his fellow New Yorkers. But it was the call with George that made me think of LLMs and chatbots. Unable to decipher what button George is pressing, Kramer is exasperated and says, “Why don’t you just tell me the name of the movie you’ve selected?”
Looking back at that scene today, you can see the seeds of how we interact with LLMs today. Or as Jerry put it, “Oh I gotta get on that internet, I’m late on everything!”
Prompts are becoming the interface paradigm that is changing how we design, build, and collaborate. If you’ve tried (or want to try) a ‘prompt-as-UI’ workflow, reply with what you’re experimenting with. I’ll send back suggestions and share a few examples next issue.
- Wes
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