A new Chinese AI agent named Manus is grabbing global attention for its advanced, task-focused abilities. Developed by Tencent-backed startup Butterfly Effect, Manus claims to be the world’s first general AI agent. Unlike traditional chatbots that mainly hold conversations, Manus performs real tasks from start to finish by design.
According to CNN Business, Manus stands out because it doesn’t just suggest ideas, it delivers full results. For example, during a private online preview, it built websites, filtered résumés, and created detailed property reports based on user requirements.
How Manus Works
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Peak Ji Yichao, co-founder and chief scientist at Butterfly Effect, explained that Manus uses a mix of large language models, including Anthropic’s Claude and fine-tuned versions of Alibaba’s Qwen open-source model. This mix allows Manus to handle complex reasoning and decision-making better than most AI tools today.
To make the process transparent, Manus includes a special feature called “Manus’s Computer”. This window shows users what the AI is doing in real time and lets them step in if needed. According to MIT Technology Review, this makes using Manus feel like working with a very smart and efficient intern.
Performance Testing
When MIT Technology Review tested Manus, it assigned AI tasks such as finding tech journalists, searching for specific types of properties, and nominating candidates for the publication’s Innovators Under 35 list. Though Manus sometimes misunderstood tasks or made quick assumptions, the reviewers said it was easy to guide and improved quickly when given clear feedback.
According to a report by Chinese tech news site 36Kr, each task on Manus costs about $2, which is nearly ten times cheaper than similar tasks run on OpenAI’s DeepResearch. This low cost could make Manus especially attractive to freelancers and small teams—if it can handle the growing user demand.
Technical Challenges Remain
Manus isn’t perfect yet. During tests by MIT Technology Review, the system sometimes failed to load tasks due to heavy server traffic. In those moments, users saw a message saying, “Due to the current high service load, tasks cannot be created. Please try again in a few minutes.” Manus also struggles with paywalled content and can get confused if instructions aren’t clear.
To scale its operations and better serve local users, Manus has entered a strategic partnership with Alibaba. The goal is to run Manus completely on Chinese AI models and computing platforms.
