AI agents to replace smartphones as center of digital life: Qualcomm CEO

Taipei, June 1 (CNA) Artificial intelligence (AI) agents will supplant smartphones as the center of people's digital lives, fundamentally reshaping personal devices and driving a major computing upgrade cycle, Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon said Monday.

In his keynote speech for the 2026 Computex in Taipei, Amon argued that the rise of "agentic AI" -- AI systems capable of reasoning, planning and carrying out tasks autonomously -- will transform how people interact with technology across phones, PCs, vehicles and wearable devices.

"2026 is the year of agents," Amon said, describing the technology as the next major evolution in computing.

For decades, smartphones have sat at the center of users' digital ecosystems, with applications, operating systems and connected devices built around them. That model is now beginning to change, according to Amon.

"The digital ecosystem is no longer at the phone itself," he said.

Instead, AI agents are becoming the hub through which users interact with devices and services, Amon said, adding that phones, PCs, smart glasses and cars will increasingly function as endpoints connected to those agents rather than serving as the primary gateway to digital experiences.

Unlike today's apps and services, which are often tied to specific operating systems and devices, AI agents will move across multiple devices and ecosystems, accompanying users throughout the day, Amon said.

As a result, devices will need to be redesigned, he said.

Unlike today's smartphones and computers, which respond to actions initiated by users, AI agents operate continuously, maintain context, coordinate tasks and proactively assist users without waiting for instructions, he said.

Amon predicted that future devices would effectively have "two personalities" -- one controlled by the user and another operated by AI agents working in the background. Those agents could manage schedules, coordinate tasks, gather information and interact with software on users' behalf, he said.

Looking further ahead, Amon said, AI systems will increasingly function as digital companions that remain active across a user's devices, helping conduct research, complete tasks and organize daily activities.

The shift will require significant changes to device architecture, including more powerful and energy-efficient processors capable of running AI models locally while coordinating with cloud-based systems, he said.

According to Amon, the future of AI will not be defined by a competition between cloud and edge computing, but by cooperation between the two.

AI workloads will increasingly be distributed across devices and cloud infrastructure, with software automatically determining where tasks can be performed most efficiently, he said. That approach can reduce costs and lower the number of AI-generated tokens required to complete tasks.

The same AI-driven transformation is expected to extend beyond personal devices to vehicles, robots and industrial systems, Amon said.

He also highlighted the role of future 6G networks, which he said would go beyond connectivity to provide sensing capabilities able to generate real-time digital models of cities and infrastructure, creating additional context for AI agents and connected devices.

"Agents are not coming in the future. They're already here," Amon said. "This upgrade cycle can be one of the largest that the industry has seen."

Amon's speech was one of four keynote addresses planned for Computex Taipei 2026, one of the world's largest computer and technology exhibition, which will run from Tuesday to Friday at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

Other speeches will be delivered by Marvell Technology Chairman and CEO Matt Murphy on Tuesday, Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan on Tuesday, and NXP Semiconductors N.V. President and CEO Rafael Sotomayor on Wednesday, according to the event organizer.