March 6, 2025: A Milestone in AI Unveiled

In the early hours of March 6, 2025, the tech world erupted in a frenzy reminiscent of the "DeepSeek phenomenon," as a Chinese team unveiled Manus, the world's first general-purpose AI Agent. Overnight, social media feeds were flooded, invitation codes on second-hand platforms soared to 50,000 yuan, and related concept stocks surged collectively. Behind this storm lies a groundbreaking product—but what exactly is it, and why is it hailed as a "milestone in the AI Agent domain"?

1. From Concept to Execution: How Manus Redefines AI Assistants

Unlike conversational AIs like ChatGPT or Claude, Manus is positioned as an autonomous "mind-and-hands" intelligent agent. Its name, derived from the Latin "Mens et Manus" (Mind and Hands), symbolizes the idea that knowledge must translate into action. In its official demo, Manus showcased jaw-dropping "end-to-end" capabilities:

• HR Scenario: Unzip a file containing 10 resumes, analyze each page to filter candidates for a "reinforcement learning algorithm engineer" role, generate a ranked spreadsheet report, and even process tasks asynchronously—allowing users to shut off their computers while awaiting results.
• Real Estate Decision-Making: Based on family income and children's education needs, automatically search for safe neighborhoods in New York, write a Python script to calculate budgets, filter listings, and produce a home-buying analysis report.
• Stock Analysis: Retrieve data via API, analyze the price correlation of three listed companies, generate visualized charts, and deploy them as a shareable website.

Even more astonishing is Manus' versatility, spanning dozens of domains like travel planning, insurance comparison, educational courseware development, and supplier procurement—truly delivering a closed loop of "input needs, output results."

2. Technical DNA: Multi-Model Collaboration and Open-Source Commitment

Manus' breakthroughs stem from its unique architectural design:

1. Multi-Agent System: Core functions are powered by multiple independent models working in tandem—modules for natural language processing, data analysis, and reasoning collaborate to tackle complex tasks.
2. "Virtual Machine + Compute Layer" Architecture: Integrated with development tools akin to Cursor, it lowers the user barrier while supporting asynchronous cloud processing.
3. SOTA in GAIA Benchmark: In the authoritative test evaluating general AI's ability to solve real-world problems, Manus set new records across all three difficulty levels, outpacing OpenAI's models of the same tier.

The team also pledged to open-source parts of the model (notably the reasoning module) later this year, fostering further collaboration within the tech community.

3. Market Frenzy: Invitation Codes Hit 50,000 Yuan, Founder Responds Urgently

Manus' beta invitation codes quickly became a "hot commodity." On second-hand platforms, prices ranged from 999 yuan to 50,000 yuan, with some sellers listing "highest bidder wins." Amid the hype, co-founder Zhang Tao issued an urgent clarification:

• No paid channels have been opened; codes are distributed solely through official events.
• Server capacity is limited, prioritizing existing user experience with gradual rollout of new slots.

4. Founder Xiao Hong: A 90s-Born Serial Entrepreneur's "AI Ambition"

Behind Manus is Xiao Hong, a 90s-born founder with a decade of technical expertise:

• Graduated in 2015 from Huazhong University of Science and Technology with a degree in Software Engineering, he founded Nightingale Technology, launching "Yiban Assistant" and "Weiban Assistant," serving over 2 million B-end users.
• In 2023, he introduced Monica, an all-in-one AI assistant that gained overseas popularity as a browser plugin, surpassing 1 million users.

His philosophy—"less structure, more intelligence"—posits that when data quality, model capability, and engineering architecture are robust enough, intelligence emerges naturally without predefined limits.

5. Controversy and the Future: How Far to AGI?

Though hailed as an "early taste of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence)," Manus has sparked debates:

• Capability Limits: Some developers question its autonomy, arguing it relies on browser-simulated operations rather than true independence.
• Ethical Risks: If AI can directly handle real-world tasks (e.g., stock trading or home purchases), how will safety and compliance be ensured?

Nevertheless, Manus undeniably points the industry forward—AI Agents will be the core of next-gen human-machine collaboration. On the same day, OpenAI unveiled an enterprise-grade medical AI agent (priced at $20,000/month), yet Manus' populist approach may accelerate real-world adoption.

From Code-Grabbing Frenzy to Capital Craze

Manus' meteoric rise isn't just about technical breakthroughs—it taps into humanity's ultimate dream of "AI-driven productivity liberation." When machines evolve beyond tools into entities that independently complete tasks, this revolution will reshape work, life, and business logic.