"Manus" - A New Artificial Intelligence Platform Making a Splash in the Tech World

Written by: Lamia Al-Siddiq (Abu Dhabi)

The Chinese artificial intelligence platform "Manus" caused a sensation immediately after its launch, surpassing even the popularity of large concerts in some circles. Some experts described Manus as the most advanced tool in the world of artificial intelligence, and it attracted significant attention within the Chinese AI community, demonstrating its ability to perform complex tasks in the real world, going beyond the limitations of traditional models that are limited to providing textual answers.

What is the Manus platform?

"Manus" - an "agentic" artificial intelligence (AI) platform developed in China, aims to autonomously perform complex tasks, such as preparing research reports, analyzing financial data, programming games, and even purchasing real estate. The platform represents a new model of artificial intelligence capable of interacting with software and performing tasks without direct human intervention, according to Techcrunch.

"It's not just another chatbot," said Manus creator Yichao "Beck" Ji in a promotional video. "It's truly autonomous," he continued. "While other AI systems simply generate ideas, Manus delivers results, and we see it as the next model for human-machine collaboration." On its website, Butterfly Effect, the Chinese startup behind Manus, provides examples of the tasks its assistant is supposed to be able to accomplish, such as "buying a property in New York."

Why all the fuss?

Since its limited beta launch, Manus has generated a lot of buzz in tech circles, with Hugging Face's head of product calling it "the most impressive AI tool I've ever experienced." Its official Discord server has doubled to more than 138,000 users in just a few days. Additionally, the limited number of invites has led to a spike in the price of access codes on Chinese reselling platforms like Xianyu, with some codes reaching prices as high as 100,000 Chinese yuan (approximately $14,500).

Technology Used in Manus

Manus wasn't built from scratch; rather, the platform relies on a combination of existing and modified AI models. Reports indicate that Manus is based on existing AI models such as Anthropic's Claude and Alibaba's Qwen.

However, some promoted demos showing it performing advanced tasks were inaccurate, according to company officials. Manus's developer, Butterfly Effect, confirmed that it is still in the early testing stages and is gradually improving its performance. The platform uses models to perform tasks such as drafting research reports, analyzing financial documents, and performing advanced internet searches. Despite the significant attention Manus has received, there are still several technical and regulatory challenges it may face.

Comparisons to DeepSeek:

Some users have tried to compare Manus to the Chinese AI company DeepSeek, but these comparisons have been inaccurate. DeepSeek has developed its own AI models, while Manus relies on modified pre-existing models.

DeepSeek has made some of its technology publicly available, while Manus is still closed and invite-only.

Ahead of the Challenges

Developer Butterfly Effect emphasized that Manus is still in its very early stages, and that the primary goal of the closed beta is to test the system and identify issues. In an official statement, it stated: "As a small team, our focus is on improving Manus and developing AI agents that actually help users solve problems. The primary goal of the current closed beta is to stress-test various parts of the system and identify issues. We greatly appreciate everyone's valuable input."

The Future of Manus

Currently, Manus appears to be a media hype. Despite its promised capabilities, the platform still faces technical challenges. But as its development continues, Manos could indeed become a major player in the future of artificial intelligence.