China’s New AI Agent Manus Gains Global Attention After DeepSeek Excitement
Manus: China’s Groundbreaking AI Agent
Credit: VCG
Overview of Manus
Manus, a new artificial intelligence (AI) agent developed by the Chinese start-up Monica, has gained significant attention following its preview launch. This AI is designed to think independently, plan, and execute complex tasks, showcasing its ability to deliver comprehensive results. In just two days after its announcement, Manus has been widely discussed in international media, drawing comparisons to China’s earlier AI launch, DeepSeek.
Comparisons to Previous AI Advances
The DeepSeek Influence
DeepSeek made headlines in January 2025, being hailed as a pivotal moment for AI development in the U.S. The launch of DeepSeek demonstrated that Chinese companies could create functional Large Language Models (LLMs) at a much lower cost than their American counterparts. Manus appears to follow in the same vein, signaling another leap forward in China’s AI capabilities.
Countries and companies are keen to observe how Manus will perform in the AI landscape, as excitement mixes with skepticism over the rapid release of AI innovations in China. Nikkei Asia highlighted this sentiment by discussing Manus as potentially “the next DeepSeek,” with companies eager to mirror such successes.
Media Reaction
Reports from various sources, including Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobao, have noted that the unveiling of Manus has positively affected stock markets related to its technology sector. These stocks have surged, indicating investor optimism surrounding this fresh development.
Applications of Manus
Manus is equipped with a range of applications, showcasing its versatility. Some notable uses include:
- Travel Planning: Crafting personalized guidebooks for trips.
- Financial Analysis: Performing detailed stock assessments, such as analyzing Tesla’s stock data.
These functionalities hint at Manus’s potential to influence multiple domains, from personal use to business analytics.
Technical Achievements
According to its developers, Manus has achieved State-of-the-Art (SOTA) results in the GAIA benchmark test, surpassing similar models developed by OpenAI. This performance level helps to solidify Manus’s position in the competitive AI landscape.
Company Background
Monica, the start-up behind Manus, was established in July 2023, with a registered capital of $10 million. The company is located in the Haidian district of Beijing. The teams that developed Manus are based in both Beijing and Wuhan and have been working on the project for about a year.
Access and Availability
Currently, access to Manus is invitation-only, leading to a surge of interest in invitation codes on domestic secondhand markets. Prices for these codes vary significantly, with some listings showing prices between 999 yuan (approximately $137) and 50,000 yuan (about $6,900). Sellers often cite the scarcity of these codes, reflecting the high demand.
Company Stance on Hype
Despite the market’s buzz, Monica has chosen to remain calm. An employee confirmed that the company is not involved in any paid channels for obtaining invitation codes. They indicated that the limited access is due to insufficient server capacity, as Manus is still undergoing internal testing, and its official launch date is yet to be announced.
Challenges and Popularity
Reports indicate that Manus’s unexpected popularity has led to overwhelming demand. The company worker revealed that server overloads have necessitated around-the-clock efforts from the team to resolve issues, including managing brute-force attacks on the registration portal.
As a result, despite Manus’s impressive achievements, some individuals have raised concerns about its capabilities due to its restricted availability in the broader market.
The Founding Team and Social Media Buzz
The founding team of Monica also includes Xiao Hong, a serial entrepreneur and a graduate of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2015. Social media platforms like Weibo have showcased the excitement surrounding Manus, with discussions about its young founder receiving millions of views and thousands of comments.
Manus represents yet another step in China’s journey to becoming a leader in the field of artificial intelligence, signaling an era where AI solutions are not just concepts but increasingly functional realities.
