Manus (AI agent)
| Developer(s) | Monica |
|---|---|
| Initial release | March 6, 2025 |
| Type | |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | manus |
Manus (meaning hands in Latin) is an autonomous artificial intelligence agent developed by the Chinese startup Monica. The agent is designed to independently carry out complex real-world tasks without direct or continuous human guidance. It is recognized as one of the world's first autonomous agents capable of independent thinking, dynamic planning, and decision-making.[1][2]
History
[edit]Monica was founded with the goal of developing advanced artificial intelligence agents capable of operating independently beyond traditional uses of large language models. The official launch of Manus on March 6, 2025, gained significant international attention. Manus was described as a turning point in the development of artificial intelligence due to its ability to operate entirely without direct human intervention and complete complex tasks autonomously. Manus' rapid success highlighted China's advancements in AI technology and its ability to compete with the United States in this field.[3][2]
Key features
[edit]Full autonomy: Unlike LLM systems such as ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, Manus does not require explicit instructions. It proactively initiates tasks, analyzes data, and dynamically adapts its actions in real-time.
Multi-domain performance: Manus is capable of performing diverse tasks across different fields, such as analyzing financial transactions, screening job applicants, finding rental apartments, and more, with faster and more efficient decision-making than humans.
High precision personalization: Manus learns from user behaviors, anticipates hidden preferences, and delivers deeply personalized results.
Background and real-time operation: Manus continues to execute tasks in the cloud even when users are offline, updating them upon task completion in real-time.
Examples of use
[edit]When screening resumes, Manus not only ranks candidates but also evaluates relevant skills, compares them against job market trends, and provides optimal decisions in a ready-to-use format. In apartment searches, it analyzes crime statistics, rental market trends, and even weather conditions, presenting options specifically tailored to user preferences.[4]
Impact and implications
[edit]The emergence of Manus reignited public and academic discussions about the implications of fully autonomous artificial intelligence, particularly concerning ethics, privacy, and employment security. The new system marks a significant milestone toward achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) and is expected to influence the technological and economic balance between Western countries and China in the coming years.[5][2][6]
References
[edit]- ^ "What is Manus? China's world-first fully autonomous AI agent explained". Newsweek. March 6, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c Craig S. Smith. "China's Autonomous Agent, Manus, Changes Everything". Forbes. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ^ "China's second DeepSeek moment? Meet Manus, an AI agent that can think and act independently". The Indian Express. March 9, 2025. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
- ^ "Manus AI: The Best Autonomous AI Agent Redefining Automation and Productivity". huggingface.co. March 6, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ^ Astropomeai (March 9, 2025). "Overview of MANUS AI Agent". Medium. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
- ^ Fried, Ina (2025-03-10). "New Chinese AI agent Manus draws DeepSeek comparison". Axios. Retrieved 2025-03-10.