AI web and zero UI: What your brand should do when the web stops asking you to click

Generative AI is transforming the web from searching and scrolling to asking and cocreating.

We’re entering the AI web: a unified digital environment where AI systems—such as assistants, agents, and AI‑powered browsers—interpret, personalize, generate, and take action on web content and services on behalf of the user.

It combines capabilities from:

• AI browsers (e.g., Edge with Copilot) that can read, summarize, interpret, and act on web pages 
• AI assistants (e.g., Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini) that translate intent into actions 
• AI agents that can navigate sites, fill forms, compare products, make purchases, or complete multistep tasks end-to-end

In previous eras of the web, value was driven by visits, clicks, and attention. In the AI web era, value is driven by usefulness. Instead of navigating pages or feeds, people increasingly expect the web to do the work for them: summarize options, compare choices, plan next steps, and even complete tasks on their behalf.

What’s the relationship between the AI web and zero UI?

Zero UI (zero user interface) is the concept of tech-enabled interactions that bypass traditional screen-based interfaces and instead favor AI-powered chat, voice, and smart devices like smart speakers or wearables. traditional interfaces.

Rather than relying solely on a screen to access the content, knowledge, and brands digitally, consumers are increasingly interacting with the internet through these nontraditional interfaces.

With zero UI, the internet is no longer confined to a screen. It becomes embedded into everyday life, accessible through natural conversation and ambient experiences. The interface fades into the background, while intelligence and action move to the foreground.

In short, as AI makes the web intelligent and intent-driven, the need for traditional screens and controls declines, leading to zero UI. You could say that if the AI web is the engine, then zero UI is the experience layer.

The shift is already underway

Even today, behavior is changing fast. AI models are reshaping the creator economy. Instead of browsing the web, people are increasingly chatting with it.

Consumers are embracing this transition:¹

• 67% like or love using automation to make life easier and more efficient.
• 54% are comfortable with AI chatbots and conversational search.
• 61% are comfortable using voice commands.

We did the research: What do consumers expect?

To understand how quickly this shift is happening, Microsoft Advertising surveyed 1,000 U.S. consumers to gauge their zero UI readiness, interest, and adoption.

The findings explore current and future adoption, trust and comfort levels, what people expect from brands, and how companies can prepare for a future where websites are no longer the primary interface.

A few signals stand out:²

• 59% of consumers are ready to use AI agents instead of regular websites for some tasks.
• 64% of high-tech users are comfortable with automated systems acting for them.
• After seeing future zero UI concepts, over 70% expect brands to deliver these experiences within a year.

So brands need to respond by investing in conversational and agentic capabilities and services to meet this growing opportunity.

How you can start getting ahead

The AI web is already reshaping how discovery, evaluation, and action happen online. Zero UI has arrived.

Brands need to be ready to scale to meet consumer expectations of quality, transparency, control, and sophistication in their desired use-case scenarios. Success will look like going beyond designing for attention and start designing for intent, trust, and action.

Is your business ready to meet the expectations of 70% of consumers who expect these experiences within a year?

Download The AI Web: The Race to Zero UI in our AI web hub and get ready now! As a bonus, you’ll find lots of additional generative AI-focused, hands-on materials to help improve your business’ discoverability today.