Qualcomm CEO says he anticipates big changes in the AI space

• Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon believes apps will soon be designed for AI agents – not so much humans
• Amon also believes that wearables like smart glasses could see chip demand surge
• On-device processing is the next stage of AI, aimed at reducing cloud latency and boosting efficiency

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon has claimed AI agents could soon become much more than the next trend, influencing development across a wide space.

Instead, in an interview with CNBC, Amon said he believes the independent and autonomous nature of agentic AI could almost entirely replace traditional apps. “Those agents are going to be the new app,” he said, noting that apps “are not dead” but they are facing major change.

Under Amon’s vision for the future, human users will likely interact with agents that understand context and complete tasks for them, rendering many human interfaces irrelevant.

Apps aren’t dead, but they’re about to become agentic

Amon remains optimistic about Qualcomm’s opportunities, indicating that consumer devices will also need more powerful chips to support on-device processing as AI evolves away from strictly cloud-based.

This means the company is likely targeting growth across smartphones, PCs and even new classes of wearables, like emerging smart glasses from companies like Meta and Google.

“All the devices that we wear become endpoints for agents, and those AI companies understand they have to win those endpoints from agents,” he added.

Amon is especially optimistic about smart glasses, noting that shipments are already in the “order of multiple tens of millions” per year. And it’s a market that could go mainstream as soon as this year, with Google announcing upcoming models in partnership with Samsung and, indeed, Qualcomm.

“We are in a period of profound industry transformation – the rise of AI agents is reshaping our roadmap across every platform we develop,” Amon said in relation to the company’s most recent quarter, during which it made 3% less revenue than the year before.

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With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!