The Fifth Elephant 2025 Annual Conference (18 & 19 July)

Intra action: rethinking UI in the age of AI

Why buttons and text boxes wonʼt cut it anymore

Context

For over half a century, user interfaces (UIs) have been built on metaphors borrowed from the physical world : think desktops, files, folders, buttons, checkboxes, and text fields. These interfaces assumed the user knows what they want, and the system is a passive responder waiting for explicit input. This made sense in an era when computers were deterministic tools : calculators, word processors, web browsers : each doing exactly what it was told, no more, no less.

With the rise of Artificial Intelligence especially large language models - computers are no longer passive tools; they have become active collaborators.AI can interpret ambiguous instructions, generate new ideas, anticipate needs, and adapt behavior in real-time.

This means the classic “one click, one responseˮ or “one text box, one inputˮ paradigm cannot capture the fluidity of these capabilities.

The core problem is that our interfaces are stuck in the age of typewriters and control panels — but our technology has leapt into the age of thinking companions. Itʼs time to close this gap.

To that end I propose INTRA ACTION

Inspired by concepts from Karen Baradʼs philosophy: unlike “interactionˮ (two separate entities acting upon each other), intra action recognizes that human and AI agency emerge together, co-shaping the outcome in real-time.

In practical terms, it means interfaces should be:

• Context-aware: Sensing user behavior, environment, emotion.
• Proactive: Anticipating intent and making suggestions.
• Adaptive: Evolving based on usage history.
• Multimodal: Combining voice, gesture, text, visuals seamlessly.
• Conversational: Allowing natural back-and-forth without rigid form-filling.

For example:
Typing versus talking: People increasingly dictate messages or ask voice assistants instead of typing, expecting conversational nuance.

Smart homes: People get frustrated when they must tap five buttons to adjust lighting instead of saying, “Set cozy mode.ˮ

The opportunity

Designing for AI means embracing:

• Co-creation instead of command-and-control.
• Fluid, multimodal interfaces that blend text, voice, vision, and gesture.
• Interfaces that dissolve into context - less screen, more situational intelligence.
• Ethical design that explains how AI thinks and makes decisions.

The stakes

If we donʼt rethink UI:

• Users will get overwhelmed by systems that are simultaneously too smart and too dumb — powerful but locked behind primitive controls.
• AI will make mistakes without human-friendly ways to correct or supervise.
• Designers will miss opportunities to make technology feel truly human-centered.

Key takeaways for the audience

• How Interaction design for AI softwares is diffrent from Interaction Design for Desktop and Mobile.
• A frame work for approaching the challenges for designing for a fuzzy, non binary paradigm of AI and LLMs.
• New UI elements , Input methods , Interaction methods and symbol convention to communicates with machines .

Who is the audience for this talk

• Founders
• Product Designers
• Product Managers
• Engineers
• Usability researchers
• Tech anthropologist

About the speaker

Prashant heads product management at Jar, a fintech startup revolutionizing the financial landscape in India. Prashant has deep expertise in product management, design, and leadership across the consumer internet, mobile apps, fintech, commerce, and AI domains.

Before Jar, he was the co-founder of Shifu, an AI company in the smartphone-based predictive intelligence space. Shifu was acquired by Paytm, where Prashant worked as Vice President of Product Management for five years, managing everything from Recharge & Bill Payment to DIY Merchant Onboarding, eCommerce Sellers, and Messaging and Content.

He is very passionate about AI, fintech, and conversational interfaces, and is dedicated to designing products for users in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns of India, also known as the "Next Billion Users.”

Beyond the professional realm, Prashant’s interests include traveling, reading, and culinary experiments. Currently calling Bangalore home, Prashant is surrounded by his tech arsenal, including two MacBooks, a pair of tablets (iOS and Android), three smartphones, a VR box, and an impressive collection of six dozen books.