Introducing the Agent Computer Interaction era.AI agent as apersonaWhile the UX community has quickly embraced Large Language Models as design tools, weve largely overlooked their more profound implications. Now, as AI agents become integrated throughout our digital products, we face a fundamental transformation: these systems are evolving from tools into active participants in our digital environments, and we need to design forthem.AI agents are emerging as a new class of users, independently navigating the interfaces we design and performing complex tasks on our behalf. This marks the beginning of a new era of interaction, the Agent-Computer Interaction, where user experience encompasses not only human-computer relationship, but also the experiences of the AIagents.Admittedly, humans remain integral to this new dynamic, providing oversight and guidance. Still, AI agents should now be considered distinct user personas, with unique needs, capabilities, and objectives. This entails designing the experience for both humans and agents, crafting interfaces that cater to both, and ensuring they have the necessary resources and information to function effectively.Understanding AIAgentsGoogle I/O defined AI agents as intelligent systems capable of reasoning, planning, retaining information, and thinking multiple steps ahead, all while operating across various software and systems under human supervision. Other companies may frame their definitions differently, but they share this essential concept: AI that can think several steps ahead and retain context while working independently. Its like having a digital assistant that can truly anticipate your needs and proactively solve problems.(Image from Google I/O)Reminder, these are my personalviewsWhile earlier AI agents relied on solely APIs to interact with other systems, recent breakthroughs, particularly in computer use pioneered by models like Claude, have unlocked a new level of agency. These advanced agents can now directly interact with graphical user interfaces, controlling the cursor, entering inputs, and navigating through applications just like a human user. This grants them unprecedented access to browser-based products, allowing them to perform tasks with a level of autonomy and sophistication weve never seenbefore.In this new era of Agent Computer Interaction, AI teams must choose between two approaches for enabling AI agents to interact with software:Direct API Integration or tool use: Using function calls and APIs to interact with systems programmatically. This is often more efficient since it avoids the overhead of rendering visual interfaces. However, API quality and coverage canvary.Visual Interface Interaction or human tools: Having AI agents interact with software through their graphical user interfaces, just as humans do. While potentially slower, this approach offers greater transparency and allows humans to better monitor and control the AIsactions.API integration might be ideal for high-volume, well-defined tasks where speed and efficiency matter most. Visual interface interaction could be better suited for tasks requiring careful human oversight, providing more transparency and control. UX practitioners, and cross-functional partners, face a crucial challenge in determining the most effective interaction method for each use case, and the relationships with endusers.Anthropics computeruseDesigning the experience for AIagentsAs AI agents evolve into active users of our digital products, UX designers need to expand their practice to account for these new participants. Just as we research human user needs, we must now understand their capabilities, what they require to function effectively, and how they achieve their assignedgoals.While agents ultimately serve human intentions, they often work in complex networks where they interact with other agents to complete tasks. For example, one agent might process data that another agent uses to make recommendations, all in service of a humans original request. This creates new layers of interaction that designers must consider andsupport.As we create personas for human users, we should now develop personas for AI agents. These personas should capture the nuances of an agents behavior, its strengths and limitations, and its evolving capabilities as technology and context advance. This will enable us to design interfaces and interactions that are optimized for agent workflows, as if they were justpeople.Agent persona(Modified FigmaJam template)Prepare to embrace new research methodologies, such as A/B testing different interface designs to determine which best supports agent performance. While AI systems may not be sentient, they possess motivations and can reason, plan, andadapt.This new era presents us with a fundamental question: should interfaces be optimized for humans, agents, or both? The answer remains elusive, as we navigate this uncharted territory. The key lies in recognizing that AI agents are not merely tools, but users in their own right, exploring thoughtful design considerations and a nuanced understanding of agents uniqueneeds.When the mobile interrupted the world of desktop, it was first treated as a scaled-down version of the desktop experience. However, we soon unlocked the unique potential of mobile devices, and it changed the world in a way it was difficult to predict before. Similarly, we are now looking at AI advancement through the lens of existing paradigms, and time will show how new experiences will be shaped in a way we dont expect. What is clear is that we appear to be on a trajectory from web apps to mobile apps, and now towards a future shaped by intelligent agents.Shaping the AIMindLarge Language Models (LLMs) are the brains behind AI agents, imbuing them with intelligence and reasoning capabilities. But UX designers have a crucial role to play in shaping these LLMs, going beyond interface design to influence the very core of agent behavior.In The rise of the model designer I argued that as designers we needed to get a seat at the table to shape AI models. We possess a unique understanding of user needs and mental models. This expertise is invaluable in crafting effective prompts that guide LLMs towards desired outcomes. By collaborating closely with engineers to develop system prompts aligned with user intent, we can ensure that AI agents provide relevant and meaningful experiences at the service ofpeopleAI model training & UX involvement from the Model designer articleMoreover, UX designers should actively participate in creating strategies for evaluating agent performance and leveraging user feedback to refine LLM behavior. This involves establishing a data flywheel that continuously improves the agents ability to understand and respond to userneeds.The key takeaway is this: designing for AI agents requires a shift in mindset. We are not only crafting a product for them to use; we are actively shaping the agents themselves, influencing their intelligence and behavior through careful prompting and continuous feedback. This represents a new frontier for UX, where our expertise extends to the very heart ofAI.Keeping Humans in theLoopWhile designing for AI agents presents exciting new challenges, we must never lose sight of our ultimate goal: enhancing human experiences. AI should serve humanity, and our design efforts must prioritize human needs andvalues.Control is paramount. UX practitioners must carefully consider how to empower users with agency over their AI interactions. This includes designing clear mechanisms for granting permissions, providing context about data access, and offering opt-out options for those who prefer not to engage with AI agents. Establishing trust through user control is essential for the successful adoption of agent-driven experiences.Transparency is equally crucial. Users need clear insights into how AI agents utilize their data, interact with their tools, and collaborate with other agents. In scenarios involving multiple agents from different companies, users should have visibility into the participants and the ability to choose which entities they allow into their digital ecosystem.Fortunately, we can draw upon existing UX frameworks to navigate this complex landscape. System design, for example, offers valuable tools for visualizing the intricate relationships within agent-driven ecosystems while maintaining a human-centered perspective. By adapting mapping techniques like blueprints commonly used in service design, we can effectively represent the interplay between humans, agents, and products, highlighting lines of visibility andcontrol.Agentic experience map draft (Modified FigmaJam template)These modified blueprints, which we might call agentic experience maps, should not only depict the flow of interactions but also incorporate elements related to agent training and evaluation. This holistic view will enable us to design systems that are both powerful and trustworthy, ensuring that AI truly puts humansfirst.ConclusionWe are entering a new phase of digital design where AI agents are becoming active users of our systems, not just tools within them. This shift requires UX designers to expand their perspective, considering how both humans and AI agents interact with interfaces and with eachother.While the rapid evolution of AI technology may feel overwhelming, this field is still in its early stages. The core principles of user experience design remain valuablewere simply extending them to encompass artificial users alongside human ones. This presents a unique opportunity for designers to shape how AI agents interact with systems and serve humanneeds.The future of UX lies in understanding and designing for this Agent Computer Interaction. Those who develop expertise in this area now will help define best practices for years tocome.So take a deep breath, sign-up for a class, and join the movement to design a future we can all be proudof.Sources:AnthropicIntroducing computeruseNNgService BlueprintsLatent Space podcastLanguage Agents: From Reasoning toActingCognitionIntroducing DevinMIT technology ReviewGoogles Astra is its first AI-for-everything agentAlex KleinThe agentic era ofUXTreating AI Agents as personas was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.