From Tech.co, March 12:
Manus AI is reportedly the world's first fully autonomous AI agent. But what does that mean? And what is it capable of?
If reports are to be believed, the world’s first fully autonomous AI agent is here. Developed by Chinese start-up Butterfly Effect, Manus AI is a “general AI agent” that can autonomously execute complex tasks, including analyzing data, generating reports, and ordering groceries.
Manus AI has been called “China’s second DeepSeek moment,” and promises a dizzying array of potential use cases. But how does it work? And what might it be capable of? In this guide, I’ll dive deep into the platform, unpacking everything that we know so far.
What Is Manus AI?
Manus AI is a new AI agent developed by Chinese start-up Butterfly Effect. Named after the Latin word for “hand,” Manus is more than “just another chatbot or workflow…it’s a completely autonomous agent,” according to chief scientist Yichao “Peak” Ji.As a fully autonomous platform, it is capable of making decisions independently. While ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude require some level of human input, Manus is able to think, plan, and execute without any assistance. In other words, Manus promises to leave many of its contemporaries in the dust.
Manus was unveiled last week, and currently it’s in private beta mode, meaning you’ll need an invitation in order to test it out for yourself. But its rollout is sure to send shockwaves through the tech world. US companies will consider it a call to arms in their bid to best China in the unfolding AI race. Critics, meanwhile, will likely despair at the prospect of a machine that has the potential to completely replace a human....
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