Chinese Startup Unveils ‘World’s First’ Fully Autonomous AI Agent

Named Manus, the AI system is designed for general-purpose tasks, ranging from purchasing property and booking vacations to developing video games. Developed by Chinese firm Butterfly Effect, Manus is reportedly capable of outperforming some of the most advanced AI models, including those from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

“(Manus) is the next evolution in AI,” said Yichao Ji, co-founder and chief scientist of Manus AI, in a video demonstrating the system’s capabilities. “This isn’t just another chatbot or workflow, it’s a truly autonomous agent that bridges the gap between conception and execution. Where other AI stops at generating ideas, Manus delivers results. We see it as the next paradigm of human-machine collaboration, and potentially a glimpse into AGI (artificial general intelligence).”

The AI has garnered attention from industry experts, with AI policy researcher Dean Ball calling it the “most sophisticated computer using AI.” Victor Mustar, head of product at AI platform Hugging Face, described its performance as “mind-blowing.”

“Got access and it’s true... Manus is the most impressive AI tool I’ve ever tried,” Mustar wrote on X. “The user experience is what so many others promised... but this time it just works.”

Despite the excitement, Manus is not yet widely available, with access limited to users who obtain an invite code from existing members. The exclusivity has fueled demand, with invitation codes reportedly selling for thousands of pounds on Chinese marketplace Xianyu.

While some experts have raised concerns about its potential impact on human jobs, early users have reported flaws in the system. Some testers noted errors in factual information and incomplete responses, highlighting challenges that need to be addressed before a broader rollout.