AI Agents on Phones The Future Is Not Here Yet

The promise of artificial intelligence on our phones is a future where our devices anticipate our needs and handle tedious tasks for us. At Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit, I experienced a version of this future firsthand, but it left me convinced that we're not quite there yet.

The Promise of AI Agents

The big idea behind AI agents is that they will act as personal assistants living in your phone. They'll understand you, know your data, and automate tasks to make your life easier. While this has been mostly theoretical, I had the chance to test a real-world application: using an AI agent to post on social media.

My Hands-On Test with an AI-Powered Instagram Post

Using a prototype phone equipped with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, I spoke to the device. "Find all pictures of beaches stored in the Photos app," I said. An on-device large language model (LLM) processed my request and worked with a vision model to scan and classify my photos, pulling up two options almost instantly.

"I like the second option," I continued. "Please post it to Instagram with the hashtag #lovethecolor." Without a single tap, the agent launched the Instagram app and posted the photo as a Reel. The LLM had translated my voice command into an action for the Instagram API.

An AI agent posted this photo based on my voice instructions. (Image: Katie Collins/CNET)

After posting, the agent even asked if I wanted to check for new comments, attempting to be proactive. However, this is a job that notifications already handle perfectly well.

Reality Check: Is This Really an Upgrade?

This entire demonstration was a proof-of-concept. In the US, most social platforms don't allow the API access that would make this possible. Qualcomm, working with AI company ModelBest, plans to launch a similar feature in China on the Weibo platform.

After trying it, I'm not in a hurry to have an AI manage my Instagram. The most useful part was searching my camera roll with a simple description—that's a genuine time-saver. But the act of posting to Instagram is already a smooth process that doesn't feel like it needs automation.

More importantly, I'd want far more control. I would need the option to choose between Stories, Reels, or a grid post, and the ability to give complex instructions for edits, filters, and captions before I'd ever hand over the reins to an AI.

The Verdict on AI Agents for Now

For the time being, I'm happy to keep posting to Instagram myself. However, I am eager to see how agentic AI evolves to handle more complex and genuinely burdensome tasks.

Tech companies like Qualcomm are certain that agents will become the standard way we interact with our devices. While I'm keeping an open mind, the jury is still out for me.