The Manus Moment: AI's Next Great Leap

This Weekend Changed Everything

Something extraordinary happened in AI this weekend. A new agent called Manus burst onto the scene, skyrocketing its Discord membership to 138,000 in mere days. Invite codes reportedly fetched upwards of $7,000 on Chinese social media platforms. But to grasp the weight of this moment, we must contextualise it within AI’s rapid evolution—particularly in the wake of DeepSeek’s impact, which recalibrated expectations for AI’s global development.

Yet, Manus isn’t just another “China DeepSeek moment.” It represents something far deeper—an “agentic moment.” For the first time, we’re seeing a true glimpse of what autonomous AI agents can accomplish. This isn’t about better models but better integration. Not just theoretical capabilities, but real-world execution.

Think back to the excitement when ChatGPT first arrived. It wasn't just better tech; it redefined our expectations. Manus carries that same spirit, but with an even bolder promise. It shows us a future where AI isn't just clever chatbots but autonomous partners—agents who don't just wait for instructions but run with an idea, even while you sleep.

Unveiling Manus

What is Manus, really? At its heart, it’s not a single clever AI, but rather an orchestra of specialized agents working in harmony. One agent takes your instructions and delegates tasks to others designed for planning, research, and execution. It's powered by the Claude Sonnet (v3.5/3.7) model from Anthropic and Alibaba's Qwen models, seamlessly integrated into a single, potent force.