How China's human-level AI could prove catastrophic

An artificial intelligence agent called Manus has led to speculation that Chinese researchers are close to achieving the ultimate breakthrough, writes Anthony Cuthbertson

- Anthony Cuthbertson

For decades, the Turing Test was considered the ultimate benchmark to determine whether computers could match human intelligence. Created in 1950, the "imitation game", as Alan Turing called it, required a machine to carry out a text based chat in a way that was indistinguishable from a human. It was thought that any machine able to pass the Turing Test would be capable of demonstrating reasoning, autonomy, and maybe even consciousness – meaning it could be considered humanlevel artificial intelligence, also known as artificial general intelligence (AGI).

The arrival of ChatGPT ruined this notion, as it was able to convincingly pass the test through what was essentially an advanced form of pattern recognition. It could imitate but not replicate.

Last week, a new AI agent called Manus once again tested our understanding of AGI. The Chinese researchers behind it describe it as the “world’s first fully autonomous AI”, able to perform complex tasks like booking holidays, buying property or creating podcasts – without any human guidance. Yichao Ji, who led its development at the Wuhan-based startup Butterfly Effect, says it “bridges the gap between conception and execution” and is the “next paradigm” for AI.

Within days of launching, invitation codes to join early testers of Manus were reportedly being listed on online marketplaces for 50,000 yuan (£5,300), with some of those signing up claiming that the next phase of AI may have finally been achieved. There is no official definition for AGI, nor any consensus on how to handle it when it arrives. Some believe that such machines should be considered sentient, and should therefore have similar rights to other sentient beings. Others warn that their arrival could be catastrophic if proper checks are not put in place.