China’s next DeepSeek moment? Meet Manus AI agent

Weeks after Chinese AI startup DeepSeek made headlines with its DeepSeek-R1 model, China appears to be gearing up for another significant AI breakthrough. Another startup, Monica, has introduced its AI agent called Manus, which, much like DeepSeek, is rapidly gaining global attention. Some analysts have already labeled it as “yet another DeepSeek moment” for China.

Manus is attracting interest due to its ability to tackle complex real-world tasks. Currently available as an invitation-only web preview, the AI agent can handle practical functions like step-by-step website creation.

The company has showcased a demo video on its official website, manus.im, and reports suggest that the AI agent went viral within 20 hours of its preview launch.

What is Manus?

Manus is being described as the world’s first truly general AI agent. It has demonstrated capabilities such as thinking, planning, executing tasks independently, and delivering complete results.

According to its website, Manus can generate a travel itinerary to Japan, conduct stock analysis, create interactive coursework for teachers, compare insurance policies, and more.

Additionally, the company claims Manus can outperform OpenAI’s DeepResearch based on the GAIA benchmark, a third-party assessment for general AI assistants.

Manus AI is designed to autonomously manage complex tasks across multiple industries. Its key features include autonomous operations and asynchronous cloud-based functionality, allowing users to assign tasks and disconnect their devices.

The company states that even when disconnected, Manus continues working in the cloud and delivers results once the task is complete. Over time, it adapts to user preferences, improving personalization and performance with continuous use.

A demo video shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday night garnered over 200,000 views by Thursday noon, with many users requesting invitation codes to access the AI agent. Just weeks ago, a similar buzz surrounded DeepSeek R1, which was reportedly developed at a fraction of the cost compared to models from OpenAI, Meta, and Google.

Based on demonstrations, Manus can interact with its environment, gather data, execute tasks, browse websites, use various tools, and display workflows in real-time.

Many users have shared clips showcasing its remarkable automation capabilities, including a demo of Manus controlling 50 different screens simultaneously. It can also operate across multiple platforms like X, Telegram, and other online tools simultaneously, demonstrating an unmatched level of automation.

Currently, there is limited information about the company behind Manus. However, the demo video was hosted by Peak Ji Yichao, a 33-year-old Chinese entrepreneur and tech enthusiast, known for creating the Mammoth mobile browser.

How to Use Manus AI?

Using Manus AI is straightforward. Like other AI chatbots, users can start by entering a prompt. For example, one could ask, “Create a 7-day travel itinerary to Bali within a specific budget.” Manus then researches, compiles data, and provides structured output in real time.

The AI can generate files, browse the web, interact with web pages, take screenshots, and record browsing activity for later review.

A New Era for AI-Powered Browsing?

Tech companies are increasingly developing AI-powered browsers, signaling a shift toward intelligent web navigation. Manus AI appears to bring a new level of automation and intelligence, offering a more intuitive, powerful, and cost-effective alternative to existing solutions.

Read More: Chinese app DeepSeek users to face strict punishment