Is Manus China’s Answer to ChatGPT? Exploring the Rise of the AI Agent

Imagine asking your phone to plan a weekend trip, book your tickets, and even create a custom travel guide – all without you lifting a finger. Or picture an assistant that scans the stock market, picks winning trades, and explains its choices in simple terms. This is what Manus AI, a new tool from China, promises to deliver.

Launched this month by a startup called Butterfly Effect, Manus is shaking up the world of AI. Some call it a game-changer, while others wonder if it’s just hype.

So, what’s the deal with this tool?

Let’s dive in and see how it works, how it compares to tools like ChatGPT, and why it’s got everyone talking.

What Is Manus AI?

Manus isn’t your typical chatbot. Unlike ChatGPT, which chats with you and answers questions, Manus is an agentic AI. That means it doesn’t just talk – it acts. Named after the Latin word for “hand,” Manus is built to take your ideas and turn them into real results. Want a website for your small business? This AI agent can design it step-by-step. Need a report for work? It researches, writes, and formats it for you. It’s like having a super-smart coworker who never sleeps.

Manus is a general AI agent that bridges minds and actions: it doesn’t just think, it delivers results. Manus excels at various tasks in work and life, getting everything done while you rest.

Manus

The team behind Manus says it’s the world’s first “general AI agent.” This is a bold claim. Most AI tools today, like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini, rely on a single big brain (called a large language model) to do their jobs. Manus, though, mixes multiple AI models – including Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 and Alibaba’s Qwen – to tackle tasks. It’s a bit like a team of experts working together instead of one lone genius.

How Does Manus Work in Real Life?

Let’s look at some examples to understand what this AI agent can do.

1. Planning a trip. Say you want to visit Paris for three days on a budget of $500. With ChatGPT, you’d ask for ideas, get a list, and then book everything yourself. Manus takes it further. You tell it, “Plan my Paris trip for $500,” and it searches the web, finds cheap flights, picks a budget hotel, and builds a day-by-day plan – all while you sip your coffee. Early testers say it’s slow (sometimes taking 20 minutes), but the results are detailed and ready to use.
2. Stock market help. If you’re into investing, Manus can scan market trends and suggest trades. One tester asked it to analyze Tesla’s stock. Manus didn’t just give a summary – it dug into recent news, checked price patterns, and recommended a strategy. Compare that to ChatGPT, which might explain stocks in general but won’t do the heavy lifting for you.
3. Building a website. A small business owner asked Manus to create a site for their bakery. It browsed design trends, wrote code, and delivered a simple but functional page – all without the owner touching a keyboard. ChatGPT can write code too, but you’d need to guide it closely. Manus aims to handle the whole job solo.

These use cases show why people are excited. Manus feels less like a tool and more like a partner. But does it always work perfectly? Not quite – more on that later.

Manus vs. ChatGPT: What’s the Difference?

ChatGPT, made by OpenAI, is the king of AI chatbots. It’s fast, friendly, and great for quick answers. So how does Manus stack up? Here’s a breakdown:

• Speed: ChatGPT wins here. It replies in seconds, while Manus can take minutes – or even get stuck. One tester said waiting for Manus felt like “watching paint dry.”
• Action: Manus shines when you need something done. ChatGPT can write a poem about Paris, but Manus books your trip there. It’s the difference between a talker and a doer.
• Ease of use: ChatGPT is simple – just type and go. Manus, for now, is invite-only and can be tricky to access. Its website even crashed from too many visitors after launch!
• Depth: Manus goes deeper. When asked to write a report, it researches online and builds a full document. ChatGPT sticks to what it knows, which is a lot but not always up-to-the-minute.

Let’s test it ourselves. For a simple question like “What’s the weather like today?” ChatGPT answered instantly with a solid guess (it can’t check live data). Manus, though, searched the web and gave an exact forecast – 15 minutes later. For quick chats, ChatGPT is king. For bigger tasks, Manus flexes its muscles.

Is This China’s “Second DeepSeek Moment”?

China’s AI scene is buzzing. Recently, DeepSeek, another Chinese AI, shocked the world with a chatbot as good as ChatGPT but way cheaper. Now, some say Manus is the next big leap – China’s “second DeepSeek moment.” But is it?

DeepSeek won by being affordable and powerful, shaking up Silicon Valley. Manus takes a different path. It’s not about being cheap – it’s about doing more. While DeepSeek chats like a pro, Manus acts like a robot assistant. TechCrunch’s Kyle Wiggers isn’t convinced, though. He says Manus is more of a “remix” of existing ideas, not a brand-new breakthrough like DeepSeek. It uses models from Claude and Qwen, not something totally fresh.

Still, the hype is real. On X, users call Manus “DeepSeek’s worst nightmare” and say it beats tough AI tests like GAIA better than OpenAI’s tools. Whether it’s a true revolution or just a strong contender, Manus is putting China on the AI map again.

The Good, the Bad, and the Glitchy

Manus sounds amazing, but it’s not perfect. Here’s what testers (including me) found:

• The good: It’s ambitious. Tasks like sorting resumes or writing a 75-page report are no sweat for Manus. One user on X said it’s “the closest thing to OpenAI’s Deep Research” – high praise!
• The bad: It’s slow and buggy. Sometimes it crashes or gets stuck in loops. One tester asked for a market analysis and got 10 pages of fake data with a tiny warning at the end. Oops.
• The glitchy: Manus can overdo it. Asked for a simple logo, it spent 20 minutes designing a full brand kit nobody wanted. It’s thorough, but not always practical.

Compare that to ChatGPT, which rarely messes up but also doesn’t try as hard. Manus is like a new car – shiny and powerful, but it still needs a tune-up.

Why Does Manus Matter?

Manus isn’t just about cool tricks. It’s part of a bigger story. AI is moving from helpers to agents – tools that don’t just answer but act on their own. This could change how we work, shop, and live. Imagine an AI that manages your emails, pays your bills, or even runs your business while you’re on vacation. Manus is a step toward that future.

It’s also a win for China. With the U.S. leading AI through companies like OpenAI and Google, China is fighting back. DeepSeek showed they could match the West’s tech. Manus hints they might leap ahead by focusing on action, not just words. Plus, its partnership with Alibaba’s Qwen team means more firepower to grow fast.

xxxBut there’s a flip side. Privacy is a worry. Manus searches the web and controls browsers, so it sees a lot of your data. In China, where the government keeps a close eye on tech, that raises questions. Could Manus share your info? The company says it’s safe, but some experts aren’t so sure.

Who Should Use Manus?

So, who’s Manus for? Here’s our take:

• Busy people: If you’ve got no time to plan trips or research, Manus could save the day.
• Small businesses: Need a website or market report on a budget? Manus might be your guy.
• Tech fans: If you love trying the latest gadgets, Manus is worth a spin (if you can get an invite!).

But if you just need quick answers or casual chats, stick with ChatGPT. Manus is overkill for small stuff-like using a rocket to go grocery shopping.

The Verdict: Hype or Hero?

Manus AI is exciting. It’s different. It’s packed with potential. For big tasks, it outshines ChatGPT and even DeepSeek in ambition. But it’s not ready to take over yet. The bugs, the slowness, the limited access – it’s a work in progress.

Is it China’s “second DeepSeek moment”?

Maybe not a total revolution, but it’s a loud signal that China’s AI game is strong. For now, Manus is a glimpse of what’s coming: a world where AI doesn’t just talk – it does. Whether it becomes a hero or fades as hype depends on how fast it fixes its flaws. One thing’s clear: we’ll be watching.