Agent-based computing is outgrowing the web as we know it

We are on the cusp of a fundamental redesign of the internet. Not a facelift. A full-body transplant.

For more than 30 years, the web has been our playground, our workplace, our high street and our therapist’s couch. But it’s also been entirely designed for us simple humans who type, tap, click and scroll. Interfaces built for eyes. Navigation designed for fingers. Decision trees dressed up as websites.

But here’s the truth: We’re not going to be the web’s primary users for much longer.

AI agents based on ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude and Gemini are moving from passive assistants to active participants. Today, we ask them to do things for us. Tomorrow, we’ll authorize them to act as us.

And right now, we’re asking Ferraris to drive on cobblestone.

AI is already trying to operate inside a human-shaped world. Clicking buttons. Dragging cursors. Filling out forms. It’s like putting a robot in a glove and telling it to pretend it’s got fingers. It works, for now, but it’s wildly inefficient.

Remember when cars first appeared on horse trails? Well, I don’t but I know the story. It worked, barely. Until someone realized speed requires tarmac. The same logic applies to the web. AI agents aren’t going to just be digital chauffeurs. They’re going to be drivers that navigate, decide and transact. Fast. Without us in the loop.

We’re about to need a new web.

AI agents require machine-native design

What does the web look like when it’s built for machines?

It’s fast. Invisible. Transactional. Pages become endpoints. Interfaces dissolve. There are no “click here” buttons. Just structured data, unstructured context, exposed capabilities and intent flowing between systems.

APIs will become the new storefronts. AI doesn’t need to read a product page or scroll through a review carousel. It needs to ask one question: “Is this the best option based on my user’s preferences, budget and priorities?” And it needs that answer instantly.

The entire architecture of the internet will bend toward AI-native interfaces. Faster protocols. Cleaner metadata. Verifiable sources. Trust becomes the currency because AI can’t rely on vibes. Agents will assess source reliability, cross-check facts and learn from user outcomes. Reputation, structure and verification signals will matter more than design.

And suddenly, “user experience” takes on a different meaning. You’re not designing for a distracted shopper. You’re designing for a synthetic brain with infinite tabs open and zero tolerance for friction.

Two webs, one future

So what happens next?

We may end up with two parallel webs. One for humans that remains visual, persuasive, slow. One for machines that is minimal, efficient, fast.

But more likely, the future is layered. Every digital surface will need a machine-readable skin. Your website, your content, your commerce, if it’s not optimized for autonomous agents, it’s invisible.

This changes everything:

• SEO becomes MEO: machine experience optimization.
• Content becomes data.
• Brand trust becomes even more quantifiable and transparent.
• Influence shifts from design to accessibility, from layout to latency.

Efficiency and trustable become key website differentiators. The brands that embrace this shift early to build AI-ready front doors, not just pretty landing pages will thrive . . They will treat their AI compatibility the way they once treated mobile optimization or security.

Because in five years, it won’t be a human clicking “buy now.” It’ll be your AI agent, acting on your behalf, making hundreds of decisions a day — not just purchases, but scheduling meetings, booking travel, screening content and negotiating services across every domain of digital life.

And it won’t choose the prettiest site, it’ll choose the fastest, most reliable and trustworthy, most machine-readable one.

Bottom line

We’re not just upgrading browsers. We’re rewriting the rules of the web.

The old internet was built for people. The new one will be built for agents. And the companies that recognize this and build infrastructure, content and interfaces accordingly, will most likely own the future.

Just like roads evolved for cars, the web will evolve for AI.

And the next digital revolution? It’ll be executed in milliseconds by machines, for machines, on a web designed for (and quite possibly by) them.

Justin Westcott leads the global technology sector for Edelman.

Daily insights on business use cases with VB Daily

If you want to impress your boss, VB Daily has you covered. We give you the inside scoop on what companies are doing with generative AI, from regulatory shifts to practical deployments, so you can share insights for maximum ROI.

Read our Privacy Policy

Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.

An error occured.