Manus, a new assistant using artificial intelligence (AI), is causing a stir in China, following the success of the Chinese startup DeepSeek, which has managed to compete with its American rivals.
This article takes stock of the specific features of this new program.
A great success
Manus was launched last week by Chinese startup Butterfly Effect.
In a viral video posted on YouTube, its co-founder, Yichao “Peak” Ji, hailed the birth of “the next paradigm of human-machine collaboration,” “a glimpse of what AGI” could become, or artificial general intelligence, an AI that would be capable of performing any cognitive task like a human being.
Accessible only by invitation, Manus quickly gained attention, with more than 170,000 members already registered on its official Discord server.
Its creators explain that its name comes from the Latin expression “mens et manus,” which means “mind and hand,” or the alliance of knowledge and action.
Manus would indeed be able, via a few simple instructions, to accomplish complex tasks such as creating a personalized travel guide, claims its website.
Complex tasks
Manus is an AI agent and, as such, does not play in the same league as the conversational assistants of DeepSeek or OpenAI (ChatGPT).
While the latter provide “answers to user queries via a chat interface,” Manus “is capable of performing tasks autonomously for users,” summarizes Manoj Harjani, a researcher at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).
For example, it can “book tickets or sort CVs,” explains the expert.
Meanwhile, Manus is taking a different approach by limiting access to an invitation-only version and targeting businesses, according to Marina Zhang, an associate professor at the University of Technology Sydney.
“This exclusivity can generate buzz, but it also risks limiting mass adoption,” she anticipates, unlike DeepSeek, which has managed to build a large community by choosing open-source, meaning its programming code is freely accessible.
In a test, Manus took significantly longer to generate responses than DeepSeek or ChatGPT, but it was able to accomplish more complex tasks, such as creating a personalized website.
– Sensitive subjects –
Unlike Deepseek, which provides answers on several topics that are consistent with the position of the Chinese Communist Party, Manus was able to provide precise and comprehensive answers on issues that are sensitive to the Chinese authorities.
Among these topics is the deadly crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. When asked about the issue, the program responded that “the Chinese government (had) carried out a violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters,” before offering six more paragraphs detailing the event.
Manus also provided a detailed response to accusations of human rights violations by the Chinese party state in the Xinjiang region.
Asked about his sensitivity to censorship, Manus replied that he does not “intentionally censor factual information.”
Manus “is task-centric,” and likely “hasn’t incorporated as much content control as DeepSeek and ChatGPT have,” said Li Jianggan, founder of Momentum Works, a Singapore-based technology consultancy.
The next DeepSeek?
Manus’ success will now depend on its ability to adapt to demand, believes Manoj Harjani.
However, it shouldn’t be seen as “the next DeepSeek,” as they are two different types of applications, he adds.
Its success will be based on a combination of “adequate computing power and effective management of technical, ethical and regulatory challenges,” says Marina Zhang.
If these challenges are met, Manus could become “a major player in the field of business automation,” she adds.
But Manus is “far from perfect” and is probably not open to the general public today for program optimization purposes, Li Jianggan believes.
His future success therefore remains “a great unknown,” he concludes.