China's AI revolution continues with the launch of new AI agent Manus
China is once again making waves in the AI world with the unveiling of Manus, an innovative AI agent developed by the Chinese startup Monica. Launched in early March 2025, Manus is touted as the world's first truly general AI agent, capable of autonomous planning and execution of complex tasks, sparking a frenzy of speculation and demand.
A true general AI?
What sets Manus apart is its unprecedented ability to independently plan and execute tasks while delivering actionable results. Unlike conventional AI models that rely on prompts and human oversight, Manus functions more like a highly capable intern—generating ideas, handling complex workflows, and even executing coding and data analysis tasks autonomously.
At its core, Manus operates using a multi-agent structure, where specialized sub-agents collaborate to manage various aspects of a task. This system simulates human teamwork, allowing Manus to handle intricate, multi-step processes in a way that surpasses existing AI models.
For example, in one demonstration, Manus was tasked with finding a family-friendly house in New York. It scoured safety data, analyzed real estate listings, performed budget calculations using Python scripts, and presented a polished final report with tailored recommendations—all without human intervention.
High on demand
Access to the Manus is currently invitation-only which has triggered a scramble for accessibility. Some invited users have even began reselling their tickets for as much as $140,000 on secondary markets.
The excitement stems from its record-breaking performance on the GAIA benchmark. According to reports, the agent outperformed OpenAI’s best models, though specific benchmark details remain scarce.
China’s AI momentum
The debut of Manus further solidifies China’s growing dominance in AI innovation. With previous breakthroughs in large language models and autonomous agents, the country is making rapid strides toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—a goal that has long eluded tech giants in the West.
Some industry experts are calling Manus China’s “GPT moment” or “Sputnik moment”, comparing its impact to OpenAI’s ChatGPT launch. With AI adoption among enterprises projected to surpass 80% by 2026, Manus arrives at a pivotal moment when demand for autonomous digital workers is skyrocketing.
Skepticism and the road ahead
Despite the excitement, some critics question whether Manus is truly revolutionary or merely an extension of current prompt-based models. Monica, the startup behind Manus, is known for AI-powered productivity tools, including a popular ChatGPT browser extension that amassed 10 million users in record time.
If the new AI innovation can deliver on its promises while adhering to security and privacy best practices, then we are looking at an historical moment that will define the era of AI agents All eyes are now on pioneering AI companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google to see how they respond..
