A new AI tool called Manus is making waves in China, sparking expectations that it could replicate the success of DeepSeek, which shook the global tech industry earlier this year with its advanced chatbot.

Manus, an AI agent considered more advanced than a typical chatbot, can perform tasks ranging from stock market analysis to creating personalized travel guides based on simple user instructions, according to its website.

Launched last week by the Chinese startup Butterfly Effect, Manus quickly gained attention after a viral video featuring co-founder Yichao "Peak" Ji, who described it as "the next paradigm of human-machine collaboration and possibly a step toward AGI (artificial general intelligence)."
Though currently available only by invitation, Manus has seen rapid growth, with its official Discord server amassing over 170,000 members.

Unlike DeepSeek and ChatGPT, which provide responses via a chat interface, Manus can autonomously carry out tasks like booking tickets and sorting resumes. Manus is in an invite-only beta and is focusing on enterprise-level clients. Some analysts suggest this exclusivity may generate hype but could limit widespread adoption.

Whether Manus can replicate DeepSeek's mainstream success depends on its ability to scale and meet demand. Its future will depend on technical stability, ethical challenges, and regulatory considerations. If it can overcome these hurdles, it could become a significant player in enterprise automation. However, its success remains uncertain, as the team continues to refine the AI's capabilities.