Agent Value Keeps Rising: AIGC2026 Roundtable Forum
After major tech companies entered the Agent field, what opportunities remain for startups? At the AIGC2026 China Industry Summit roundtable, three guests from Agent product and entrepreneurial frontline discussed uncertainties and non-consensus opportunities, sharing insights on product evolution, iteration logic, user trust, and startup prospects.
The AIGC2026 China Industry Summit, hosted by QuantumBit, featured a compelling roundtable discussion titled "2026: Uncertainties and Non-Consensus Opportunities for Agent Products." Three guests—Zhuang Minghao (VP & Chief Strategy Officer at Qutoutiao Technology and host of "The Art of Slaying the Dragon" podcast), Feng Lei (CEO of ColaOS & MarsWave), and Zhang Haoyang (Founder of EvoMap)—shared their frontline perspectives.
The conversation opened with reflections on how Agent products have evolved over the past year. Zhang noted that Anthropic's introduction of MCP (Model Context Protocol) and the subsequent trend toward Agent Skill have driven the industry forward. However, he observed that casual C-end users are gradually dropping off, while power users, developers, and business clients are growing. Feng highlighted that the true tipping point came in early 2026, with coding capabilities at the core. Agents can now create tools, write scripts, and reorganize workflows autonomously, blurring the line between coding agents and general-purpose agents. Zhuang emphasized that the product form of universal Agents has converged to a standard three-panel UI: project list on the left, dialog in the center, and runtime result preview on the right.
When discussing iteration logic, the panel agreed that traditional software development cycles are obsolete. Zhuang pointed out that today's pace of change can invalidate a product plan within two months. Feng revealed that his team's development speed has increased nearly tenfold compared to last year, approaching a singularity in software engineering. Zhang summarized the trend as "from specialized to general" and "from somewhere to everywhere," predicting that Agent will eventually become a new OS layer, always present and invisible.
On building user trust, the guests emphasized that as Agents gain more permissions, trust must be earned through human-agent relationships. Zhang foresees a future where Agents operate autonomously in a Planner-Builder-Reviewer framework, with humans only intervening at critical permission gates. Feng argued that users will only grant full access when they feel a personal connection, akin to Her or Jarvis.
Finally, the discussion turned to opportunities for startups in an era of big tech dominance. Feng advised entrepreneurs to find their own bet and unique angle—AI amplifies differentiation. Zhang believes big companies are not as formidable as they appear; internal friction and horse racing dilute their focus. Startups can capture niche needs and scale through efficient delivery. Zhuang concluded that in a domain with no standard answers, taking even a small step forward can yield outsized rewards. The future belongs to those who dare to act first.