AI News Roundup – March 18th: AI in a Flash: China’s Manus, Google’s AI Search, OpenAI Shifts & More

AI News Roundup: China’s Manus AI, Google’s AI Search, OpenAI Slowdown & More – NR’s Fortnight in AI

Let’s quickly sprint through the most interesting AI headlines that caught my eye over the last couple of weeks. It’s a fast-moving field, so let’s get you up to speed as of the 18th of March 2025.

Manus AI (China): Is China Catching Up?

A new AI agent from China called Manus is going viral, raising questions about China’s AI progress relative to the US. Is the AI landscape shifting?

Link: Manus AI Article – Imaginative

Google “AI Mode” Search: Goodbye Web Links?

Google is testing “AI Mode” search results powered by Gemini 2.0, bypassing traditional web links for conversational AI responses. A major shift in online information access?

Link: Google AI Search Article – Ars Technica

OpenAI Improvement Slowdown?: Hitting a Wall?

Reports suggest a potential slowdown in OpenAI’s rapid AI improvement, with their next model “Orion” possibly not showing the same leap forward. Are we seeing a plateau?

Link: OpenAI Slowdown Article – TechCrunch

Anthropic Claude 3.7 Sonnet: Thinking Longer, Reasoning Deeper

Anthropic released Claude 3.7 Sonnet, designed for longer thinking and enhanced reasoning over larger information volumes. Reasoning capabilities are becoming crucial for advanced AI.

Link: Anthropic Claude 3.7 Sonnet Announcement

Musk vs. OpenAI Legal Battle: The Plot Thickens

The Musk vs. OpenAI legal case continues with interesting findings regarding Musk’s efforts to prevent OpenAI’s for-profit transition. Legal, ethical, and governance issues remain central in AI.

Link: Musk vs OpenAI Legal Case Thread – Thread Reader App