The Gutenberg Parenthesis explores the idea that literate culture represents only a brief phase in human history; as the internet returns us to (written) orality and chat interfaces replace the thus-far software standard of user control panels / tools with plain speech instructions, technology going forward could de-anchor from literate culture’s expectations and needs. I could imagine a world in which users don’t even think about software because all functions are accessed through chat and agents. Why should I have to go pick out an app for every silly little thing I want to do? If I need a decibel measure, my phone could just pick one for me, install it, take a measurement, and then delete it, solely based on the instruction to record a measurement. As chat interfaces become more popular, software companies (especially mobile apps) may pare back or even drop development of GUIs: why bother designing a visual control interface if the app can be controlled entirely by voice? Maybe…
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