I read this article on Business Standard and asked Grok what all the hype was.
China's new AI model 'Manus' creates global buzz, challenges OpenAI, Google
Hello Grok, I just read this on the net. "Manus is an advanced AI agent designed to think, plan, and execute real-world tasks on its own. It can create websites, plan trips, analyse stocks, and much more-just from a single user prompt" What do you think?
Hey there! That description of Manus sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it? It’s making some bold claims about being an advanced AI agent that can autonomously handle real-world tasks like building websites, planning trips, and analyzing stocks—all from a single prompt. Let’s break it down a bit and see what’s plausible based on what I know about AI capabilities up to March 11, 2025.
First off, the idea of an AI that can "think, plan, and execute" tasks independently isn’t entirely new—AI agents have been trending toward more autonomy. Tools like those from OpenAI or Anthropic can already browse the web, generate code, or compile research, but they usually need some hand-holding through prompts or follow-ups. If Manus can truly take a single prompt—like "plan me a trip to Japan" or "analyze Tesla’s stock"—and deliver a finished product without further input, that’s a step up. It suggests a level of reasoning and task management that’s more sophisticated, possibly using a multi-agent system where different AI components handle planning, execution, and refinement.
Creating websites from scratch is totally doable for modern AI. With access to coding tools and web frameworks, an AI could generate HTML, CSS, and even deploy a basic site. Planning trips is also within reach—think pulling flight data, hotel options, and itineraries from the web, though it’d need real-time API access to book anything. Stock analysis is trickier but feasible; AI can scrape financial data, run trends, and spit out insights, though I’d be skeptical of its depth without human oversight—markets are messy, and AI can miss nuance.
The "much more" part is where it gets fuzzy. How far does Manus stretch? Could it, say, negotiate a contract or debug a complex app? The claim sounds like it’s positioning Manus as a general-purpose agent, maybe even hinting at artificial general intelligence (AGI) vibes, but that’s a massive leap. Most AI today, even the cutting-edge stuff, is still narrow—great at specific tasks but not truly "thinking" like a human across domains.
I’ve heard chatter about Manus being a Chinese-developed AI from a startup called Monica.im, launched around early March 2025. Some say it’s outperformed OpenAI’s Deep Research on benchmarks like GAIA, which tests real-world problem-solving. That’s intriguing if true—GAIA’s no joke, requiring web browsing, tool use, and reasoning. But there’s also skepticism out there. Early testers have reported bugs, crashes, or overhyped promises, like failing to order food or book flights seamlessly. Limited server capacity and an invite-only rollout (as of a few days ago) suggest it’s still rough around the edges.
What do I think? It’s exciting—AI that can execute multi-step tasks with minimal input is a game-changer for productivity. But I’d take the hype with a grain of salt. Autonomy’s hard to nail, and "real-world tasks" often throw curveballs AI isn’t ready for—like a website needing custom tweaks or a trip hitting a visa snag. If Manus pulls this off reliably, it’s a big deal. If not, it’s still a cool step forward, just not the sci-fi assistant it might sound like.
What’s your take? Did the article mention anything specific that caught your eye?
It's a fairly impressive article. I will provide the link here for your attention. https://www.business-standard.com/technology/tech-news/china-ai-manus-vs-openai-google-anthropic-125031000274_1.html
Thanks for sharing the article! It’s a solid rundown of what Manus is all about, and I can see why it’s got you intrigued. The Business Standard piece does a great job highlighting the buzz around this new AI agent from Monica, and I’ll riff off that to give you my take.
Manus sounds like a real contender in the AI space, especially with its pitch as a "general-purpose AI" that can think, plan, and execute tasks autonomously. The article’s examples—like creating websites, planning trips, or analyzing stocks from a single prompt—are pretty ambitious. If it can pull that off reliably, it’s a step beyond what most current AI chatbots do, which is mostly spit out responses rather than fully complete projects. The claim that it outperforms OpenAI’s DeepResearch on the GAIA benchmark is a big flex too—GAIA tests real-world problem-solving, so that’s not a small feat if true. The demo video showing it browsing the web, taking screenshots, and churning out reports in real time? That’s the kind of hands-off automation that could make people sit up and take notice.
What stands out to me is how Manus seems to lean into practical, end-to-end task completion. The article mentions it can keep working in the cloud even if you disconnect, which is clutch for longer projects—like if you ask it to whip up a detailed Bali itinerary and don’t want to babysit the process. The fact that it adapts to user preferences over time is another neat touch; it’s not just a one-size-fits-all tool. And the multi-platform data pulls—like from X or Telegram—plus generating stuff like spreadsheets or presentations? That’s a level of versatility that could make it a go-to for both casual users and pros.
But let’s pump the brakes a bit. The article’s hype is real, and I get why it’s exciting—China dropping another heavy hitter right after DeepSeek does signal they’re not messing around in the AI race. Still, it’s invite-only for now, and there’s no word on when it’ll go wide. That limited access makes me wonder how battle-tested it is. Early reports I’ve seen (not in the article, but floating around) mention glitches—crashes, loops, or half-baked outputs—which suggests it’s not fully polished yet. The promise of open-sourcing it later is cool, though; that could spark a ton of innovation if developers get their hands on it.
Compared to OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic’s offerings, Manus seems to be gunning for a niche as an all-in-one agent rather than just a research tool or chatbot. DeepResearch, for instance, is great at digging up info and writing reports, but it doesn’t seem to have the same “do it all” vibe Manus is aiming for. Google’s got its fingers in everything, but its AI agents aren’t as task-focused yet. Anthropic’s Claude can use tools and browse, but Manus might edge it out if the autonomy claims hold up.
So, what do I think? It’s a bold swing, and if Monica delivers, it could shake things up—especially in productivity tech. But I’d want to see it in action myself before buying the hype fully. The article’s right that competition’s heating up, and Manus could push the likes of OpenAI to step their game up. What caught your eye most from it? Anything you’re skeptical about or dying to try if you snag an invite?
It’s seems there is a new AI being developed at every turn. Have you had many interactions with AI. Let me know in the comments.