Chinese tech firms are making strides in the race to build autonomous artificial intelligence agents.
Most people’s experience of AI is via chatbots, which can answer questions or search for links but have little power to carry out tasks. But the next stage involves AIs which can perform specific actions, whether booking airline tickets or designing software, when instructed.
Chinese firms are closing the gap on their US rivals with more independent agents, Rest of World reported: Alibaba’s Quark model, intended to perform medical diagnostic tasks, became China’s most-downloaded AI app in April.
Meanwhile Manus, made by the startup Butterfly, showed “the promise and appeal” of the technology, according to Bloomberg, including planning travel itineraries and ordering birthday gifts.
