Manus: The AI Agent That's Breaking the Internet - Revolutionary Breakthrough or Marketing Masterpiece?
In a thunderous overnight sensation, a new AI product called Manus has exploded across Chinese tech circles, claiming to be the world's first truly general-purpose AI Agent. With bold assertions of capabilities that surpass industry giants like OpenAI's DeepResearch and Anthropic's Claude, Manus has triggered both excitement and skepticism. But what exactly is this mysterious new player, and does it live up to the extraordinary hype?
The Midnight Thunder: Manus Emerges
"Last night, thunder in the deep night," as one Chinese tech blogger dramatically described it. A previously unknown team suddenly released what they claim is the first truly autonomous AI agent: Manus. The demonstrations left viewers stunned, with reactions ranging from "humans are about to be utterly defeated" to more measured skepticism.
According to enthusiasts, Manus represents the ultimate fusion of OpenAI's DeepResearch and Claude's Computer Use capabilities, with the added ability to write and execute its own code. This combination creates what one blogger called a "monster" of AI capability that arrived far sooner than expected.
What Makes Manus So Special?
Unlike conventional AI chatbots where users must guide the conversation step-by-step, Manus operates with remarkable autonomy. When presented with a complex task, it:
- Automatically decomposes tasks into logical sub-steps
- Plans and executes each step independently
- Searches and analyzes information autonomously
- Adapts to user preferences (e.g., remembering preferred output formats)
- Runs operations in the cloud without requiring constant user input
- Notifies users when complex processes are complete
For example, when analyzing Amazon store sales data, Manus can automatically visualize the data, analyze trends, and recommend data-driven strategies to increase next month's sales by 10%. For resume screening, it can independently extract information from dozens of resumes, rank candidates, and categorize them based on experience levels - all without manual file uploads or human intervention.
The interface features a distinctive split-screen design where users can watch Manus work in real-time through a virtual machine window. This creates what fans describe as an addictive sense of control and transparency, as users can observe the AI's "thought process" unfold through each action.
Impressive Capabilities Showcased
The demonstrations that have circulated showcase Manus performing tasks that would typically require multiple specialized tools and human intervention:
- Document transformation: Converting academic PDFs into presentation-ready PowerPoints with minimal prompting
- Resume screening: Autonomously extracting, analyzing, and ranking candidate information from multiple resumes
- Real estate analysis: Acting as a property consultant by researching neighborhoods, safety statistics, and educational resources
- Stock market analysis: Functioning as a financial advisor by collecting and cross-referencing market data
- Data visualization: Creating comprehensive reports with charts and actionable recommendations
In one particularly impressive demonstration, a user simply requested "Help me create a ten-page PPT introducing Xiaomi SU7" - and Manus independently researched, organized, and generated a complete presentation without further input.
GAIA Benchmark: The Crown Jewel Claim
Perhaps most striking is Manus's claimed performance on the GAIA (General AI Assistants) benchmark - a rigorous evaluation framework developed by Meta AI and Hugging Face containing 466 carefully designed problems.
According to promotional materials, Manus has achieved the highest GAIA score to date, surpassing even OpenAI's DeepResearch. This is significant because GAIA tests practical problem-solving rather than just specialized knowledge, requiring capabilities like web searching, tool usage, programming, and file processing.
For context, when GAIA was introduced in 2023, humans typically achieved 90% success rates, while the then-strongest AI (GPT-4) barely reached 15% on the easiest level. Manus's purported dominance of this benchmark has raised eyebrows throughout the AI community.
The Skeptic's Perspective: Red Flags
Despite the excitement, several aspects of Manus's sudden rise have triggered skepticism among more cautious observers:
1. The Curious Case of Regional Virality
While Manus exploded across Chinese social media starting around 6-7 AM one morning, it remains virtually unknown internationally, with only one video having a few thousand views on international platforms. This geographically isolated virality pattern is unusual for truly groundbreaking AI technology.
2. Media-First, Not Expert-First
Unlike other significant AI breakthroughs, Manus's popularity was driven primarily by influencers and content creators. Most demonstrations relied on official promotional materials, with very few independent tests. This contrasts sharply with products like DeepSeek, which gained recognition through rigorous testing by AI professionals before wider media coverage.
3. Invitation Code Economics
Manus operates on an invitation-only basis, with codes reportedly selling for as much as ¥88,000 ($12,000) on secondary markets. This artificial scarcity model resembles classic viral marketing techniques from the early mobile internet era rather than typical AI product launches.
The company has officially denied selling invitation codes, yet the synchronized wave of influencer posts - many claiming special access through "connections" - suggests a coordinated promotional campaign.
4. Contradictory Positioning
While influencers emphasize Manus as a triumph of Chinese innovation with emotional phrases like "the night sky belongs to China" and "dawn breaks in the East," the product itself presents entirely differently:
- The official website is exclusively in English
- Promotional videos feature English narration with Chinese subtitles
- Contact information directs to Western platforms like Twitter/X
- Registration requires international authentication methods
This disconnect between nationalistic marketing and international product positioning has raised questions about the company's actual target audience and strategy.
5. Technical Analysis Raises Doubts
AI developers who've analyzed available information suggest Manus may be less revolutionary than claimed. According to technical assessments shared by industry insiders from Baichuan and MGX:
- Manus appears to be a combination of compute use, virtual machines, artifacts, and pre-built agents
- Its positioning as a universal agent contradicts the personalized nature of agent technology
- The most likely path forward would be becoming a new interface integrating various agents and compute capabilities
- The technology faces significant barriers to mass adoption due to its complexity
- Its core capabilities risk being internalized by larger language models in the future
The Verdict: Impressive But Unproven
Combining all available information, Manus appears to be an intriguing product with genuine capabilities, but one surrounded by marketing tactics that raise legitimate questions.
The company's representative has stated they've never paid for marketing promotion, yet the synchronized wave of influencer content and podcast appearances before launch suggests a carefully orchestrated campaign. One influencer even mentioned giving an award to the Manus team and participating in a podcast with them days before the public launch.
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Looking Forward: The Real Test Awaits
Whether Manus represents a genuine leap forward or clever marketing will become clear once it becomes more widely available for independent testing. Until then, potential users would be wise to:
- Acknowledge the impressive capabilities demonstrated while maintaining healthy skepticism
- Wait for thorough evaluations from technical experts rather than influencers
- Consider how Manus compares to rapidly evolving offerings from established players
- Remember that genuine technological revolutions typically withstand scrutiny over time
The excitement surrounding Manus reflects the market's hunger for truly autonomous AI agents that can handle complex tasks with minimal supervision. Whether Manus fulfills that promise or simply capitalizes on the desire remains to be seen. As the dust settles and more users gain access, the true nature of this midnight thunder will become clear. Until then, both excitement and skepticism are equally warranted in the face of what might be either the next frontier of AI or simply the next chapter in tech marketing.
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