Gaining massive hype within the first 24 hours of launching, Manus AI is taking over the internet (particularly the Chinese community) with its innovative general AI agent. The experience is that while the task may take some time to run, you can go on and do other things while waiting. When it’s done, Manus automatically delivers the results to you, completely freeing up your time.
Manus by Monica.im can automatically complete complex tasks and deliver high-quality results. Everything is done on a cloud-based computer, where the AI autonomously thinks, analyzes, and uses a browser to access websites and gather data, completing content creation. Whether it’s writing documents, generating audio, designing visuals, or executing website interactions, Manus handles it all effortlessly. You just set the task, and the AI will write the code and deliver the final output.
Manus was founded by Xiao Hong, a 1992-born entrepreneur and Huazhong University of Science and Technology graduate. In 2022, seeing the potential of large models, Xiao founded Monica to target the overseas market. Monica’s product, ChatGPT for Google, quickly gained popularity, reaching 10 million users by 2024, establishing itself as a leader in its category and maintaining a strong profit margin.
Let’s see what his new project is all about.
What is a general AI agent anyway?
Manus AI Agent is powered by a multi-agent system that operates in independent virtual machines. It is engineered to go beyond simple chat responses and actually complete complex tasks autonomously.
Each agent specializes in a different function, such as planning, memory, or tool usage, which enables Manus to break down and execute complex tasks step by step. For instance, when you upload 15 resumes, Manus can unzip files, review each page, and compile key details into a professional report—all within minutes.
Manus mentioned that it has achieved state-of-the-art performance on the GAIA benchmark—a rigorous test that measures an AI’s ability to solve real-world problems—proving that Manus can deliver measurable results.
Many people might not know what GAIA is, so here is a quick summary on why Manus may sound so magical to people.
GAIA (General AI Assistants) is a benchmark system introduced in 2023 by research teams from Meta AI (FAIR), Hugging Face, and others. It evaluates AI assistants’ capabilities through real-world questions requiring reasoning, multi-modality handling, web browsing, and tool-use proficiency. These questions are simple for humans but challenging for advanced AIs; human respondents score 92%, while GPT-4 with plugins scores 15%. GAIA comprises three levels of increasing difficulty. To excel, AI systems need web search, tool invocation, programming, and file-handling abilities.
Traditional tests focus on math, specialized knowledge, or programming. In contrast, GAIA emphasizes practical problem solving with multi-step solutions. Similarly, Manus.im offers tools enabling users to tackle complex problems through an intuitive interface.
“The Manus team launched a very powerful general-purpose AI Agent today, whose benchmark performance surpasses OpenAI’s Deep Research; its planning capabilities are incredible,” tweeted X user @PatrickKavanagh on the day of launch.
Real-World Use Cases and Impact on Daily Life
Manus demonstrated in the video that it is designed with everyday users in mind. It makes complex tasks simple and fast, such as filtering New York real estate listings or conducting in-depth stock analysis.
When you need to plan a trip, Manus can gather all the travel information and create personalized itineraries.
Business professionals can rely on Manus to generate detailed reports and data visualizations that help in decision-making.
Users have remarked that Manus is like having a smart, tireless intern who works 24/7 and never needs a break. Each task is designed to be completed within a specific timeframe and with a measurable outcome, ensuring that every project is both achievable and relevant to your needs.
“It can really help humans do things,” noted one enthusiastic user after witnessing Manus organize resumes and even handle real estate research.
Manus works across various fields with specific, measurable results:
- Resume Screening: After processing 15 resumes, Manus provides candidate rankings and profiles in a neatly formatted spreadsheet.
- Real Estate Research: Manus creates a step-by-step to-do list, calculates budgets using Python, and compiles a detailed property report in less than an hour.
- Stock Analysis: By accessing financial APIs, Manus analyzes historical stock data, visualizes trends, and prepares clear, actionable reports.
Market Response and Future Potential
Manus has already sparked heated discussions on social media platforms like X. While most people see it as a complete game changer, others think otherwise. Bearish individuals view it as a gimmick, since official access is still gated by invites, and people cannot test it out themselves. Some users claim they’ve already encountered API issues and believe the product is not as good as it seems. Others argue that the setup and running process of these scripts is too long, and results may vary after a significant delay. Some people still place their bets on US-based LLMs, believing that creating better agents and workflow automations is simply a matter of time.
Despite all the yays and nays, invitation codes are in high demand, with users staying up late to try and gain access to this revolutionary tool.
Some market experts have noted that Manus is not only surpassing traditional AI chatbots but also setting new standards in task automation and human-machine collaboration. The Manus team has promised to open source parts of its technology later this year, inviting developers and businesses to explore and expand its capabilities.
“After DeepSeek, another sleepless night for the technology community,” commented another user, highlighting the palpable excitement around Manus.
Efficiency is disrupting how we think and do
The Manus AI Agent marks a shift into a new era, where artificial intelligence moves beyond idea generation to producing tangible outcomes. It empowers individuals to be more productive while also potentially pushing some away from their current jobs.
In business operations, by utilizing cutting-edge multi-agent technology, Manus operates as efficiently as a human intern—and at times, even like a department head—ensuring tasks are completed accurately and on time. However, many teams are still unprepared for the leadership challenges of the AI era, which involve managing multiple tasks (or agents) and scaling labor effectively.
The concept and existence of a general AI agent have unlocked new possibilities that disrupt how we act. Team Hybrid Rituals will continuously report on this topic in the future.
