We’ve come a long way from typing cryptic commands on black-and-green monitors to effortlessly swiping, tapping, and speaking directly to our devices. Each evolution of technology has introduced new ways to interact—new verbs like “click,” “drag,” “scroll,” and “tap” that feel second nature today. But as AI matures, how might our language of interaction evolve next?

Historically, shifts in technology have expanded how we interact with our digital tools. The command-line era taught us verbs like “execute,” “compile,” and “run.” With graphical user interfaces, we learned “point,” “click,” “drag,” and “drop.” The internet and mobile revolutions gave us “swipe,” “pinch,” “zoom,” and “scroll.” These weren’t just new actions—they were new paradigms, reshaping how we think about engaging with technology.

Now, as AI becomes more integrated into daily life, we stand at another fascinating crossroads. AI interactions are less about direct manipulation and more about intention, guidance, and creativity. We’re already familiar with verbs like “prompt” or “generate,” but what other interactions might AI enable?

Imagine a future where interactions include verbs such as “imagine”—instructing your AI to visualize an entirely new scenario, “collaborate”—partnering directly with AI to co-create content, or “personalize”—asking your AI agent to adapt its responses uniquely to you. Instead of simple execution, interactions might shift toward actions like “infer,” where AI helps us understand complex patterns, or “augment,” allowing the AI to enhance our ideas seamlessly and intelligently.

This shift could fundamentally alter our relationship with technology. Rather than just issuing commands or navigating through menus, we’ll increasingly engage in meaningful dialogues—asking the AI to “clarify” its reasoning, “synthesize” complex information, or even “validate” the credibility of the content we encounter online.

Such changes won’t just transform our vocabulary; they’ll reshape our expectations and experiences. Our interactions might become less about control and more about collaboration—less about precise commands and more about thoughtful, intentional guidance, & hopefully winning together.

Of course, predicting the future of human-AI interactions is speculative. But imagining these possibilities highlights how profound the next shift in HCI might be. New verbs bring new paradigms (or did I flip that?), and the era of AI interaction promises verbs that not only describe our actions but reflect deeper, richer relationships with the technology itself & those using it.

What new verbs can you imagine using with AI in your daily life?