Manus Likely Isn’t China’s Next ‘DeepSeek Moment’
Manus: The New AI Platform Creating Buzz
The launch of Manus, an "agentic" AI platform, has caused quite a stir in the tech community. According to excitement levels often reserved for a major concert, Manus has quickly gained a prominent place in conversations about artificial intelligence.
What Makes Manus Special?
Manus has received accolades from key figures in the AI sector. The head of product at Hugging Face praised it as the "most impressive AI tool I’ve ever tried." Another notable figure, AI policy researcher Dean Ball, called it "the most sophisticated computer using AI." Its official Discord server rapidly amassed over 138,000 members, and reports indicate that access codes for Manus are selling for substantial amounts on Chinese resale platforms.
However, skepticism remains about whether the excitement is entirely warranted.
Features and Capabilities
Manus is not built solely from the ground up; rather, it integrates a range of existing AI models, including those from Anthropic and Alibaba. These collaborations allow Manus to perform tasks such as drafting research reports and analyzing financial filings. Yet, its developers, Butterfly Effect—a Chinese startup—have presented some ambitious claims regarding what Manus can do, including tasks like purchasing real estate and developing video games.
In a viral promotional video, Yichao "Peak" Ji, a Manus research lead, claimed that it outperforms other advanced AI solutions. Ji emphasized that Manus represents a new level of collaboration between humans and machines, implying that it operates as a fully autonomous agent rather than just another chatbot.
User Feedback: The Good and Bad
Despite the buzz, some early adopters reported mixed experiences. Alexander Doria, co-founder of AI startup Pleias, highlighted technical issues, such as error messages and performance glitches. Other users echoed these sentiments, noting that Manus often struggles with fact-based inquiries and can fail to provide accurate sources for its information.
For instance, one user noted that while another AI finished a task in under 15 minutes, Manus failed after 50 minutes at a critical step. This raises questions about its reliability, as users have expressed dissatisfaction with its ability to complete even simple tasks.
Personal Accounts
Many individuals have shared their experiences with Manus. A user tried to use the platform to order a fried chicken sandwich but experienced crashes and failures to complete transactions. Another aimed to book a business-class flight to Japan, only to receive broken links and unhelpful responses. This inconsistency has frustrated users who anticipated a seamless experience.
Moreover, attempts to reserve restaurant tables or create games often end with time-consuming errors, leading some to feel that Manus is falling short of its ambitious promises.
Acknowledgment from the Developers
In light of the mixed feedback, a Manus spokesperson reached out to clarify that the platform is still in a closed beta phase. They stated that the focus is on improving Manus and addressing the issues that have been reported. Their objective is to enhance its capabilities for users.
Hype vs. Reality
So why has Manus gained such popularity? Factors like limited access and significant media attention have propelled it into the spotlight. Chinese outlets have described Manus as a groundbreaking achievement in AI, and claims circulated on social media about its potential capabilities have fueled speculation.
However, comparisons made between Manus and other AI models may not accurately reflect its true potential. Unlike some competitors, Butterfly Effect has not developed its models in-house, leading to questions about the actual innovation behind Manus.
While Butterfly Effect is actively working to address existing issues and expand computing resources, the current performance of Manus suggests that user excitement might be outpacing the reality of its technological capabilities.
