Spent most of the week at AI Summit and in/out client work, and generally chatting to lots of new people. +800 people joined the the unofficial WhatsApp group here, we’re creating something interesting (announcement @ 9am GMT). See you in there?
Also signed a new client that will be announced at the next TNN, so make sure you get your seat for the Google / NotebookLM (July 17), and Shopify (September 18). More announcing soon too.
Apple and Airbnb ditched flat app icons for a new 3D UI design, previewing a broader visual overhaul. OpenAI slashed prices by 80% for O3, its most advanced reasoning model. Anthropic introduced a multi-agent research framework, stepping up efforts to accelerate safe alignment.
Meta's new AI app sparked backlash over privacy issues, while Google pushed Android 16 to Pixel phones with embedded AI photo editing. Tesla sued a former Optimus engineer for stealing robotic IP.
Meta hired Scale AI’s CEO to lead its internal AI unit as part of a broader investment push. New York passed legislation to limit AI disaster risk, signaling a regulatory turn. Stripe acquired crypto wallet firm Privy, expanding its web3 infrastructure stack. And Meta unveiled a robotics-ready world model, aimed at autonomous agents and next-gen systems.
APPLE GOES THROUGH THE LIQUID GLASS
Apple didn’t blow the doors off at WWDC 2025. No AI agents, no radical hardware surprise. But it did something more Apple: quietly shifted the user interface future with Liquid Glass, a new spatial design layer applied across every one of its operating systems. No headset reveal, no spectacle, just a clear signal that black rectangular screen-first interaction is running out of road. Liquid Glass reframes input around gaze, gesture, presence, and ambient behaviour. Microsoft pushed similar ideas with HoloLens, and Meta poured billions into wearable AR. Apple, true to form, has made it all feel inevitable by distributing the logic through software, frameworks, and platform-level polish. Nods with AirPods, wrist flicks on Apple Watch, presence-aware alerts across iOS. Apple is already normalising what the nerds are calling ‘ambient interaction’. Touch and swipe remain, but now act more like fallbacks. Most apps are still designed for rectangles, but the platform underneath is starting to expect fluidity.
AI played a supporting role. Apple focused on assistive intelligence that helps summarise, suggest, and adjust. No flashy/mega model showmanship, just quiet utility. The approach lands better in enterprise and regulated environments, where reliability and privacy win out over capability for capability’s sake, which, for right now at least, is a safer place for Apple to play.
SO WHAT?
Apple didn’t launch a future you can order, it laid down the infrastructure for one that’s already forming. Liquid Glass and ambient design are not features, they are now becoming baseline architecture. Apps and services will be expected to move with users, not wait to be tapped, and that’s going to be headaches for a lot of businesses before it’s awesomesauce.
Enterprise teams need to stop designing for flat glass. Context-aware, spatially fluent, gesture-responsive interfaces will define the next five years. Workflows tied to static layouts will degrade fast once users acclimate to systems that anticipate rather than respond. Essentially this confirms one thing, Apple’s next big play is 100% going to be AR glasses rumoured for a 2027 launch.
[DO] Start mapping where spatial interfaces could streamline operations or enhance customer experience. Industries like retail, logistics, healthcare, and finance will see early returns from gaze-based navigation, proximity-triggered content, or adaptive UIs.
[DON’T] Don’t assume your existing design team is equipped. Spatial and ambient design require new mental models. Upskill gradually and bring in specialists where needed. Trying to retrofit screen-based thinking won’t work.
▲ Tiny van life is getting cuter and cuter thanks to Toyota. /8 mins
How ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity Source Information. /5 mins
The Pentagon is shutting down the department that tests AI and weapons systems. /5 mins
Walmart and Amazon are thinking about issuing Stablecoins. /7 mins
inDrive wants to go beyond rides, and dreams of delivering education and healthcare through a super-app. /6 mins
Starbucks is now adding 15g of protein into its cold foam. /5 mins
How to delete your 23andMe data. /5 mins
Why so few companies are ready for the risks of agentic AI. /8 mins
The US has officially approved CRISPR pigs for food. /7 mins
The differences between same-sex parenting and heterosexual couples. /21 mins
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// C_NCENTRATE is written and curated by Paul Armstrong
Paul delivers actionable insights that keep companies ahead of the coming disruptions. As the founder of TBD Group and author of ‘Disruptive Technologies’, he is trusted by global brands, agencies, and when breaking news hits the FT, WSJ, BBC, and CNN ask for his analysis. Find out more and connect with him on LinkedIn and Bluesky.