What even is an OS now?

Your future phone will build apps for you on demand, ending the era of buying fixed-function applications.

The author, departing Fly.io to co-found a new project, posits that the profound impact of AI on computing has not yet been fully realized. He argues that AI is dissolving the traditional boundaries between programming and user experience, enabling individuals to conjure applications using natural language. This shift suggests a future where prefabricated, fixed-function applications become obsolete, replaced by highly personalized software built on demand. The author contrasts this with the past, where software was purchased off the shelf, and highlights how modern operating systems, designed to isolate applications, may become less relevant in an era of user-generated and malleable software.

The traditional operating system's core function of isolating applications, a necessity in a world of software from strangers, is becoming obsolete. As users increasingly create their own or personalized software, the need for rigid partitioning diminishes, especially as these user-generated applications become malleable and adaptable.

This evolution signals a fundamental change in device design, moving away from models optimized for fixed-function applications toward platforms that empower on-device, real-time app creation. Such a shift implies that future devices will not be planned around existing software paradigms but will instead be built to accommodate and facilitate emergent, user-driven software development.