This page may contain stale information. Last updated: 2026-07-03
Definition
Generative UI is an architectural pattern where AI agents dynamically produce user interface structures at runtime — declaring UI intent via structured messages rather than pre-built screens or arbitrary code execution. The client renders using its existing design system and component catalog.
A2UI Protocol (July 2026)
google released A2UI v0.9.1 (production) on July 3, 2026 — an Apache 2.0 open standard co-developed with CopilotKit:
- Prompt-first philosophy (v0.9): schemas embedded in LLM system prompts vs. v0.8 structured-output-first
- Message types:
createSurface,updateComponents,updateDataModel,deleteSurface - Transports: MCP, A2A 1.0, AG-UI middleware (day-zero integration)
- SDKs: Python Agent SDK (
pip install a2ui-agent-sdk), React renderer, Angular/Flutter/Lit renderers - v1.0 RC: client-to-server RPC (
actionResponse), action IDs
A2UI separates UI structure from application data, enabling progressive rendering as JSON streams arrive — no arbitrary code execution on client.
Key Design Principles
- Framework-agnostic: agents declare intent; clients render natively
- Design system preservation: uses application’s existing component catalog
- Transport-agnostic: any JSON message delivery mechanism works
- Security: declarative UI only — no remote code execution
Related
- agentic-ai
- model-context-protocol
- agent2agent-protocol
- agentic-coding-infrastructure
- llm-applications