Manus, a newly developed artificial intelligence (AI) agent, is making waves in the industry for its ability to independently perform complex, real-world tasks. Created by a relatively unknown team with backing from Chinese investors, this autonomous AI system is currently available only through an invitation-based preview.
A demonstration video on its website, manus.im, shows the model's ability to complete intricate tasks, such as building a custom website from scratch, with minimal human intervention, reported Newsweek.
What sets Manus apart from traditional AI assistants?
Unlike conventional AI tools that primarily assist users by providing recommendations or answering queries, Manus is designed to take independent action and deliver fully executed results. It is reportedly an AI agent that does not just generate responses but works to complete tasks.
According to its developers, Manus can tackle a variety of practical applications, including planning detailed travel itineraries, analysing stock market trends, developing interactive educational content, comparing financial products and facilitating business-to-business (B2B) supplier sourcing.
What are AI agents and how do they work?
General-purpose AI agents represent a major leap in AI technology. These systems can interact with their environment, gather information and autonomously execute tasks to achieve predefined goals.
Unlike many AI models that rely on step-by-step human guidance through text or voice inputs, Manus functions independently, according to the Newsweek report.
Why has Manus attracted so much interest?
Despite limited details about its organisational structure, team members, or underlying AI models, Manus has generated substantial attention within the AI community. A demonstration video was shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Meet Manus: the first general AI agent.
— AshutoshShrivastava (@ai_for_success) March 5, 2025
Looks freaking cool can't wait to get access. https://t.co/oTvcKAYw41
The video illustrates how Manus can autonomously navigate websites, utilise different functionalities and present its workflow in real-time.
Is Manus more advanced than OpenAI's models?
Manus has demonstrated superior performance compared to OpenAI's AI models when assessed using the GAIA benchmark, a widely recognised evaluation system for AI assistants and generative AI tools, according to its creators.
Benchmark tests measured Manus' ability to solve real-world problems, with results surpassing those of previous state-of-the-art (SOTA) AI systems.
The comparison against OpenAI's AI models is as follows:
Level 1: Manus (86.5 per cent), OpenAI (74.3 per cent), Previous SOTA (67.9 per cent)
Level 2: Manus (70.1 per cent) | OpenAI (69.1 per cent) | Previous SOTA (67.4 per cent)
Level 3: Manus (57.7 per cent) | OpenAI (47.6 per cent) | Previous SOTA (42.3 per cent)
These results indicate that Manus is capable of outperforming some of the most advanced AI models currently available.
Watch the video here shared by the Chinese-based development team behind Manus:
What does Manus' rise in popularity signify for AI development?
Manus' rise in popularity is reminiscent of DeepSeek's R1 reasoning model's meteoric rise earlier this year. The DeepSeek launch was seen as a huge moment in AI development, particularly in China. It showed the country's ability to produce cutting-edge Large Language Models (LLMs) at a fraction of the cost of their Western counterparts.
Manus appears to be following a similar trajectory, highlighting China's progress in AI innovation. With its ability to operate autonomously and deliver tangible results, Manus could mark a significant shift in how AI is used for real-world applications.
What lies ahead for Manus?
As interest in Manus continues to grow, the question is how it will be integrated into broader AI applications. While its full capabilities are yet to be explored, its potential for automating complex tasks with minimal human intervention could make it a game-changer in multiple industries.
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