Manus, an “agentic” AI platform that launched in preview last week, is generating a level of excitement that could rival a Taylor Swift concert. Early reactions have been glowing, with the head of product at Hugging Face calling Manus “the most impressive AI tool I’ve ever tried.” AI policy researcher Dean Ball described Manus as “the most sophisticated computer using AI.” The platform’s official Discord server quickly grew to over 138,000 members, and invite codes for Manus are reportedly fetching thousands of dollars on Chinese reseller app Xianyu.
However, amid the growing hype, some are questioning whether Manus truly lives up to the buzz. The platform wasn’t developed entirely from scratch, relying instead on a blend of existing and fine-tuned AI models, including Anthropic’s Claude and Alibaba’s Qwen. These models are used for tasks such as drafting research reports and analyzing financial filings.
On its website, Monica, the Chinese startup behind Manus, claims the platform can do everything from buying real estate to programming video games. But are these bold promises backed by reality?
In a viral video on X, Yichao “Peak” Ji, a research lead at Manus, claimed the platform is superior to agentic tools like OpenAI’s Deep Research and Operator. He suggested that Manus outperforms Deep Research on the popular GAIA benchmark for general AI assistants, which measures an AI’s ability to perform tasks like browsing the web, using software, and more. Ji called Manus a “completely autonomous agent” that bridges the gap between conception and execution, positioning it as the next major step in human-machine collaboration.
Despite the ambitious claims, early users have reported mixed experiences. Alexander Doria, co-founder of AI startup Pleias, posted on X that he encountered error messages and endless loops while testing Manus. Other users pointed out that Manus often makes factual errors, fails to consistently cite its work, and misses information that’s easily accessible online.
I also put Manus to the test, and my experience didn’t exactly live up to the hype. I asked Manus to order a fried chicken sandwich from a top-rated fast food joint within my delivery range. After a ten-minute wait, Manus crashed. On my second attempt, it found a suitable menu item but couldn’t complete the ordering process or provide a checkout link. I tried asking it to book a business-class flight from NYC to Japan, prioritizing price and flexible dates. Manus only provided links to airline websites and airfare search engines like Kayak, some of which didn’t even work.
Next, I asked Manus to reserve a table at a nearby restaurant. The platform failed again. Finally, I asked it to build a Naruto-inspired fighting game, and after half an hour, Manus errored out.
So, what’s causing the huge buzz surrounding Manus, despite its technical shortcomings? Several factors may be contributing to the excitement. First, the platform’s exclusivity, created by a limited number of invites, has generated a sense of scarcity. Chinese media outlets quickly heralded Manus as an AI breakthrough, with QQ News calling it the “pride of domestic products.” Meanwhile, AI influencers on social media spread misinformation about Manus’ capabilities, including a widely shared video that showed a desktop program—mistakenly believed to be Manus—taking action across multiple smartphone apps. Ji later confirmed that this video wasn’t a demo of Manus at all.
Another contributing factor to the hype is the comparison between Manus and Chinese AI company DeepSeek. Influential AI accounts on X have drawn parallels between the two companies, despite the fact that Manus and DeepSeek differ significantly. Monica, the developer behind Manus, didn’t create its models in-house, unlike DeepSeek. Furthermore, while DeepSeek made many of its technologies open-source, Monica has not—at least not yet.
To be fair, Manus is still in early access, and Monica has stated that it’s working to scale computing capacity and address reported issues. But as it stands, Manus appears to be a case where hype is outpacing technological development. While the platform holds potential, it currently fails to live up to the ambitious promises it’s making to users.
As the AI landscape continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether Manus can fulfill its lofty aspirations or whether it will fade as just another overhyped AI platform. For now, it’s clear that Manus has generated significant attention—but the road ahead may be more challenging than anticipated.
What is Manus AI
A: Manus AI is an “agentic” AI platform designed to automate complex tasks, from research and financial analysis to booking flights and ordering food. It claims to go beyond traditional chatbots by executing tasks autonomously.
Why is Manus AI generating so much hype?
The AI community has praised Manus for its potential to revolutionize human-machine collaboration. Early users, including AI experts, have called it one of the most impressive AI tools. The scarcity of invite codes and social media buzz have also fueled its popularity.
