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- China’s AI Agent Changes Everything.
China’s AI Agent Changes Everything.
Or Does It?
A few days ago, a new AI model dropped.
China just released Manis, an open-source general AI agent that supposedly "changes everything."
That’s what the headlines say.
But does it really?
• Manis is marketed as an autonomous AI agent—it can browse the web, run Python scripts, and even edit podcasts on its own.
• Unlike ChatGPT, it doesn’t wait for instructions—it initiates tasks itself.
• The demos make it look lightning fast, effortlessly completing complex tasks.
If true, this would be huge.
But here’s the problem:
AI demos are often carefully designed happy paths—they show ideal scenarios, not real-world performance.
• Is Manis actually this fast? Unlikely.
• Is it truly "autonomous"? Sort of—but this isn’t new.
• Is it really open-source? That depends on your definition.
Most "open-source" AI models only release weights, not the training data. Without that, you have no idea what biases or limitations exist in the model.
And here’s the bigger question: Why is China pushing open-source AI while the West locks theirs down?
Some argue it’s about control. If China wins the AI race, they shape the narrative—deciding what information people see and trust.
I break it all down in my latest video, including:
• Why AI agent demos are often misleading
• The real capabilities of Manis
• What China’s AI strategy means for the future
Watch it here → https://youtu.be/IXxVdGXjR3w
What do you think?
Is Manis the future of AI agents, or just another overhyped demo?
Luke
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