China's new AI contender Manus stirs another buzz

(ECNS) -- Despite remaining in closed beta testing, a new Chinese AI contender, Manus, has sparked online fervor just months after the buzz around open-source model DeepSeek, reigniting debates over whether it represents another revolutionary breakthrough in the tech circle.

Demo footage by Manus's R&D team shows the system can handle resume screening, real estate research, and stock analysis — though the tool remains in closed beta testing.

Currently, Manus is far from the final vision, said Zhang Tao, a team member, in a statement, adding that the team is racing to improve model hallucinations and processing speeds.

Not another DeepSeek

Talking about the difference between DeepSeek and Manus, Professor Wei Wei of Huazhong University of Science and Technology said DeepSeek is an inference-based language model designed for information generation and processing, making it particularly effective at answering "What should be done."

In contrast, Manus is a general-purpose AI agent that utilizes large models or multiple tools to execute tasks, focusing on "How to do it," with an emphasis on task allocation and collaboration, Wei noted.

He pointed out that while using AI agents to complete multi-tasks is not something Manus pioneered, its innovation lies in transforming multi-agent collaboration into a product. By integrating state-of-the-art AI capabilities into user experience, Manus simplifies complex tasks and pushes AI agent technology forward in a significant way.

Mass-user feedback expected

Manus appears impressively intelligent in demo footage, Wei said. However, as it remains in closed beta, it lacks comprehensive third-party evaluations and mass-user feedback. Its actual effectiveness will only emerge through practical deployment.

Pan Helin, a member of the Information and Communications Economic Expert Committee under China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, believes that although Manus does not introduce fundamental algorithmic innovations, it achieves remarkable results by integrating multiple large models through engineering and application innovation, delivering a comprehensive user experience.

Yet he emphasized practicality as the ultimate test: "DeepSeek won hearts through free accessibility. Whether Manus will become the next sensation depends on its post-launch performance."