Should we stop worrying and love AI? The AI battle at the heart of recruitment and why everyone is freaking about Manus, a powerful new (Chinese) AI agent

Should we stop worrying and love AI?

Having grown up on a diet of my father’s vast film collection, I often look to cinema for a visual representation of whatever current crisis the world is going through. A reliable source of inspiration in this area is Stanley Kubrick. From Spartacus to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick had a flair for visually showcasing the absurdity at the heart of human evolution. Given the current geopolitical identity crisis and the splintering of the world, it’s Dr. Strangelove, Kubrick’s satire on the Cold War doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD) that provides the most apt metaphor for where AI may be heading.

Though a little dated, and with humour that's very much of its time, the message at the heart of this darkly satirical film is that the marriage of seemingly smart systems and human fallibility can lead to catastrophic consequences. This has clear parallels with the increasingly close relationship between Big Tech and the defence sector, as the major powers aggressively up their AI spend in anticipation of a new kind of war. However, the voices raising legitimate concerns that autonomous AI systems could escape human control have all but been drowned out by governments, which have quietly shifted from a focus on AI safety to AI dominance. But does this matter? Just as we no longer fret about satnavs destroying our map-reading abilities, should we not just, to paraphrase Dr. Strangelove’s tagline, stop worrying and love AI?

My sense is that we should because, whether we like it or not, AI is already way smarter than us and is in the process of being embedded in everything from Big Mac delivery to axing inefficient civil servants. On a wider level, our current debt-fuelled, growth-obsessed, ‘free’ market approach to living is bad for most people and devastating for our planet – so something needs to change, and maybe that something is the ruthless transparency that AI brings to the nature and ultimately value of work.

By automating what the vast majority of people do in their offices, AI will force society to, very slowly and painfully, reframe what we should all really be doing with our very short time on this planet. So maybe we should view AI as a guardian angel of sorts – one that helps us understand how to best use our time and maximise our potential during our brief existence. A higher power that helps us overcome our cognitive blind spots and makes up for our natural tendencies toward procrastination, distraction and short-term thinking.

If we reframe AI in this way, it may allow us to use the shrinking window of pre-AGI (artificial general intelligence) opportunity to thoughtfully shape these technologies so they not only enhance our capabilities but also help us overcome our self-destructive tendencies – saving us from ourselves while preserving what makes us uniquely human. If we don't, then we risk a similar outcome to Dr. Strangelove's cautionary tale, where our technological creations spiral beyond our control. Like the film's unstoppable doomsday device, unaligned AI could trigger consequences we cannot reverse.

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The AI battle at the heart of modern recruitment

We're currently recruiting for several positions, with a particular focus on finding someone to manage our portfolio of software products. Like many companies, we rely on LinkedIn, as it remains the most effective platform despite its obvious shortcomings, but we spend much of our time weeding out weak applications.

For example, of the approximately 320 applications we received for our Product Manager role, it was clear that the vast majority of candidates had blindly clicked the Easy Apply button and used ChatGPT to pimp their resumes. To filter this overwhelming number of applicants and identify genuinely interested candidates, we implemented a simple qualification step: we sent each applicant a link to schedule a brief 10-minute conversation about their interest in the position.

A hundred or so screening interviews later, and the results were illuminating. More than 35% of candidates weren't fully aware of what position they had even applied for. Even more concerning, a staggering 60% couldn't disguise their lack of knowledge about the product they would potentially be managing, with many visibly conducting hasty web searches during their interviews. Our experience has crystallised why I feel so many jobseekers struggle to secure positions. Rather than complaining about falling foul of the algorithm, they fail to do the basics. So in the spirit of paying it forward, here are our tips for job hunters on at least making the first cut when looking for work:

1. Know the role you're applying for. This seems obvious, but clearly isn't to many applicants.

2. Research the company thoroughly before your interview. You’d think understanding a potential employer’s business, products and market position before an interview would be obvious, but most had no idea.

3. Demonstrate enthusiasm and clearly articulate your value proposition. What specific skills and experiences make you uniquely qualified for this role?

4. Prepare at least one thoughtful, insightful question. This demonstrates genuine interest and engagement with the opportunity.

5. Use advanced voice mode on ChatGPT to practice interviewing. Technology can be leveraged effectively for preparation rather than just application shortcuts.

6. Present yourself professionally and be personable. Smile, make appropriate eye contact and exhibit positive body language.

7. Respect scheduled commitments. Cancelling moments before an interview creates a negative impression that's difficult to overcome.

8. Master concise communication. Speak clearly, make your point and then stop – avoid nervous rambling that dilutes your message.

I can promise with absolute confidence that if you implement these straightforward practices, you will automatically position yourself in the top 5% of candidates. The bar is surprisingly low because so many applicants fail to execute these basic professional courtesies and preparation steps.

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Why everyone is freaking out about Manus

This week’s buzzy AI product launch is Manus, a new AI model from China. Described in its promotional materials as "potentially, a glimpse into AGI," Manus represents the latest push into what's being called 'agentic AI' – systems designed to autonomously perform complex tasks such as creating websites or conducting analysis.

Manus uses a bunch of large language models (LLMs) such as Claude but gives the AI access to a wide range of tools, including the ability to do web research, code, create documents and websites and more. Though it still makes mistakes, the consensus from the handful of people who have been able to get to play with it is that it's the most capable general-purpose agent yet.

We've seen this movie before. The AI landscape is littered with impressive demos that fail to deliver consistent real-world performance. The initial capabilities of these agentic systems often mask significant limitations that only become apparent with broader testing. That being said, the trajectory is clear: AI agents represent the logical next evolution beyond today's more passive systems. Current LLMs excel at responding to specific prompts but struggle with extended planning, tool manipulation and nuanced decision-making across multiple steps. Agentic systems like Manus aim to bridge this gap.

The more grandiose claims about these systems being harbingers of AGI deserve healthy scepticism. However, agentic AI does represent a meaningful evolution that will reshape certain workflows and occupations. But the transformation will be iterative rather than overnight, giving us time to adapt – if we're willing to look past both the hype and the fear.

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What we’re reading this week

• OpenAI launches new tools to help businesses build AI agents.

• DOGE’s Plans to Replace Humans With AI Are Already Under Way.

• New research from SAP reveals that 74 percent of executives place more confidence in AI for advice over their family and friends.

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