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Enough AI copilots! We need AI HUDs

geoffreylitt.com · 822 words · saved by 1 readers

In my opinion, one of the best critiques of modern AI design comes from a 1992 talk by the researcher Mark Weiser where he ranted against “copilot” as a metaphor for AI. This was 33 years ago, but it’s still incredibly relevant for anyone designing with AI. Weiser was speaking at an MIT Media Lab event on “interface agents”. They were grappling with many of the same issues we’re discussing in 2025: how to make a personal assistant that automates tasks for you and knows your full context. They even had a human “butler” on stage representing an AI agent. Everyone was super excited about this… except Weiser. He was opposed to the whole idea of agents! He gave this example: how should a computer help you fly a plane and avoid collisions? The agentic option is a “copilot” — a virtual human who you talk with to get help flying the plane. If you’re about to run into another plane it might yell at you “collision, go right and down!” Weiser offered a different option: design the cockpit so that

July 2025 Enough AI copilots! We need AI HUDs In my opinion, one of the best critiques of modern AI design comes from a 1992 talk by the researcher Mark Weiser where he ranted against "copilot" as a metaphor for AI. This was 33 years ago, but it's still incredibly relevant for anyone designing with AI. Weiser's rant Weiser was speaking at an MIT Media Lab event on "interface agents". They were grappling with many of the same issues we're discussing in 2025: how to make a personal assistant that automates tasks for you and knows your full context. They even had a human "butler" on stage represe

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