OpenAI has revamped its popular chatbot, ChatGPT, with a new 'Intelligent UI' that adds visual elements to responses. This update, powered by its GPT-6 model, generates diagrams, calculators and interactive maps, making the answers more engaging. While some responses will still rely solely on text, users can opt for fewer visuals if preferred.

The new feature is part of a broader trend towards multimodal chatbot experiences, where text, images, and voice blend into a cohesive user experience. This change is significant for over a billion users and marks the arrival of the multimodal era.

However, this shift towards AI-generated user interfaces could pose challenges for traditional designers, as AI increasingly dictates the look of software tailored to individual preferences. The future of chatbots may be more personalized, but will we still want to stare at walls of text?

Meanwhile, designers and developers will need to balance the benefits of visual aids with the risk of making interfaces too cluttered. OpenAI’s design team has spent considerable time figuring out the optimal balance, but the decision ultimately rests with the user.