The Next Paradigm Is User-Centric Agent, Not Platform-Centric Service
Abstract
Modern digital services have evolved into indispensable tools, driving the present large-scale information systems. Yet, the prevailing platform-centric model, where services are optimized for platform-driven metrics such as engagement and conversion, often fails to align with users' true needs. While platform technologies have advanced significantly-especially with the integration of large language models (LLMs)-we argue that improvements in platform service quality do not necessarily translate to genuine user benefit. Instead, platform-centric services prioritize provider objectives over user welfare, resulting in conflicts against user interests. This paper argues that the future of digital services should shift from a platform-centric to a user-centric agent. These user-centric agents prioritize privacy, align with user-defined goals, and grant users control over their preferences and actions. With advancements in LLMs and on-device intelligence, the realization of this vision is now feasible. This paper explores the opportunities and challenges in transitioning to user-centric intelligence, presents a practical device-cloud pipeline for its implementation, and discusses the necessary governance and ecosystem structures for its adoption.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2602.15682,
title = {The Next Paradigm Is User-Centric Agent, Not Platform-Centric Service},
author = {Luankang Zhang and Hang Lv and Qiushi Pan and Kefen Wang and Yonghao Huang and Xinrui Miao and Yin Xu and Wei Guo and Yong Liu and Hao Wang and Enhong Chen},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.15682},
year = {2026}
}