China Just Had Its Moment

Remember when DeepSeek first launched and flipped the AI world upside down? 

It’s happening again. This time, it’s again China’s turn.

Manus — a general AI agent that popped up seemingly overnight and is now the most sought-after piece of tech in the industry.

Here’s a video that Manus dropped : Link

Manus isn’t just another chatbot. It’s a full-fledged AI executor that can:

• Plan and book an entire vacation (including flights, hotels, and itineraries)
• Write, debug, and deploy code
• Generate interactive stock reports
• Automate invoice processing
• Compare insurance policies
• Create custom educational courses
• And pretty much anything else you can throw at it

Sounds wild? It is.

And the AI community knows it. Beta codes for Manus are selling for up to $7,000 on second-hand platforms, and thousands of people are scrambling to get access. This might be the biggest AI drop since OpenAI released GPT-4.

Why Everyone Is Freaking Out

1. It Outperforms OpenAI’s Best
Manus crushed the GAIA benchmark, a gold-standard test for AI assistants. It scored 86.5%, far ahead of OpenAI’s DeepResearch (67.9%) and Claude’s Computer Use. For context, the previous AI leader scored just 15%.

2. It Doesn’t Just Answer—It Acts
Most AI models, including ChatGPT, help with research, brainstorming, and writing. But Manus? It executes tasks. Think of it as hiring a digital intern that doesn’t sleep, doesn’t complain, and works at 10x speed.

How It Works

Manus follows a three-agent system to get things done:

• Planning Agent: Breaks down a complex task into smaller steps.
• Execution Agent: Writes code, accesses APIs, and performs actions.
• Verification Agent: Checks and refines results before delivery.

🚀 Example: A user asked Manus to analyze Alibaba’s stock performance over three years. Manus:

• Pulled data from Yahoo Finance
• Wrote Python scripts for correlation analysis
• Generated an interactive web report
• Compared Alibaba with JD.com and Pinduoduo
• Deployed the report as a shareable website

This is next-level automation.

Manus vs. DeepSeek: China’s AI Evolution

China is stacking W’s in the AI race. If DeepSeek’s R1 model was the first major win, Manus is the next-level evolution.

• DeepSeek’s Breakthrough: When DeepSeek R1 launched earlier this year, it marked China’s first true competitor to OpenAI, excelling in reasoning and problem-solving. It was a major milestone for China’s AI ambitions.
• Manus Takes It Further: Unlike DeepSeek, which was mainly focused on improving large language model capabilities, Manus bridges thought and execution. It doesn’t just process information—it acts on it, automating tasks end-to-end.
• The Bigger Picture: China’s AI isn’t just keeping up. It’s now defining the next phase of AI, shifting from conversational AI to full-blown automation.

This shift signals that China is moving from LLM-powered assistants to AI agents capable of autonomous execution—something even OpenAI hasn’t fully cracked yet.

The Brains Behind Manus

Manus wasn’t built by a household-name tech giant like OpenAI or Google. Instead, it came from a low-profile Chinese team backed by investors and developers with a history of AI breakthroughs.

Here’s what we know:

• The team previously built Monica AI, a browser extension with millions of users that integrated multiple large AI models.
• The project is led by Xiao Hong, a serial entrepreneur and 2015 graduate of Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
• The demo video was published by Peak Ji Yichao, a Chinese entrepreneur known for creating the Mammoth mobile browser.

The secrecy surrounding Manus only adds to the hype.

What’s Next?

The Manus launch has sparked serious debates in the AI world. Here are the key questions:

1. Is This True Innovation or Just Hype?

Supporters argue Manus is a leap forward, turning AI from a smart assistant into an actual executor. Skeptics say it’s just an advanced AI workflow tool, not a fundamental breakthrough.

2. What About Privacy Risks?

Manus operates in the cloud, meaning sensitive data is processed externally. So far, the team hasn’t shared much about its data security practices.

3. Will It Remain Closed or Go Open-Source?

Manus hasn’t released an API yet, which means developers can’t integrate it into their own apps. If they do, it could rival OpenAI’s ecosystem.

4. The Bigger Question: Are We Ready for AI Agents?

For years, AI has been a tool. Now, it’s becoming an autonomous workforce. Manus is the first glimpse of a world where AI doesn’t just think—it acts. If it succeeds, expect a future where AI handles entire business processes on its own.

Final Thought: AI Just Hit the Gas

AI isn’t just evolving. It’s accelerating.

Manus is proof that AI is moving beyond chatbots and into full-scale automation. The next 12 months could redefine how businesses operate, how people work, and how AI integrates into daily life.