Agents powered by smart tech new game-changer

Artificial intelligence agents serve as the predominant method to bolster the deployment of large language models as this cutting-edge technology can autonomously execute complex tasks across a multitude of industries, while liberating people from repetitive work, said Zhu Guangxiang, head of Baidu's Miaoda product.

AI agents have immense growth potential in the field of application and development, Zhu said in an interview with China Daily, adding that although they will replace some repetitive and mechanical job positions, new employment demand will be created and people can shift their focus to more creative work.

The term — AI agents — has gained worldwide attention and witnessed explosive growth this year. It refers to a system or program that is capable of autonomously performing tasks on behalf of a user or another system by designing its workflow and utilizing available tools.

They can encompass a wide range of functions beyond natural language processing including decision-making, problem-solving, interacting with external environments and performing actions.

Zhu said China has made great strides in AI development, with a string of outstanding Chinese AI startups — such as DeepSeek — popping up rapidly, highlighting that the country's robust engineering talent pool, supportive policy measures for tech innovation and abundant industrial application scenarios present important advantages for AI advances.

Zhu added that China is taking the lead in applying fast-evolving AI technology across the globe, which is different from its foreign counterparts that have gained an upper hand in underlying technologies.

In November, Baidu unveiled Miaoda, a tool that enables users to develop software applications without coding expertise. It provides no-code programming, multi-agent collaboration and multitool invocation.

The tool empowers everyone with the capabilities of a programmer — anyone who can speak can create applications, greatly enhancing human productivity and lowering barriers to AI development, thus making it accessible to all.

Zhu said that in order to allow businesses and individuals to create applications without mastering coding skills, Miaoda draws on the abilities of different AI agents across multiple domains, such as project management and planning, content editing and programming, and can even automatically identify bugs and use a range of tools.

He added that AI agents have different areas of expertise and complete various tasks by combining different sectors and professional fields. As the new carriers of content, information and services, AI agents are approaching a tipping point of explosive growth.

China's AI sector will make major strides in the next 10 to 15 years, with its market size reaching 1.73 trillion yuan ($240.9 billion) by 2035, accounting for 30.6 percent of the global total, said market research company CCID Consulting.

Global consultancy Gartner said AI agents will augment or automate 50 percent of business decisions by 2027. This integration will enhance decision flows by handling complex analysis and data retrieval.

It added that AI agents can plan and automate tasks, make informed decisions and interact with their surroundings. Tech service leaders can help clients revolutionize their operations by integrating AI agents into offerings that are configured with components designed for their primary purpose.