Would you trust your credit card to an artificial intelligence to organize a Trab of Trab? What if that came from a Chinese company that you have never heard of? This is the dilemma that raises Manusa new autonomous agent developed in China, who has captured the attention of the technological world for its ability to do what until now no chatbot achieved at all: act independently, plan complex tasks and execute real actions on behalf of the user.
Their promises sound seductive: oAgainize trips, design websites, prepare class plans or reserve servicesall without constant user intervention. But behind this brilliant surface fundamental questions about privacy, trust and control are hidden. Let’s see how you can try yourself manus and what quality and questions you have.
What is manus and what makes it different from chatgpt or claude
The launch of Manus has been anything but discreet. Although for now it can only be accessed through a waiting list, it has generated an avalanche of content on Chinese and western social networks With videos that show how web web pages with just a couple of instruction or how it organizes complete travel itineraries.
Unlike chatgpt or claude, which respond to what they are asked but they do not act without a direct order, Manus has the ability to execute actions on the username. Not only does an activity suggest: you can do it for you. It is a system built from several language models that collaborate with each other. One acts as a general planner, while others execute specific tasks and evaluate the results, in a structure that reminds more of a company than to a simple AI app.
This modular design allows you to carry out more complex processes without constant supervision. For example, You can plan a science class for secondary schools with visual resourcesdidactic material and a logical sequence of activities. Or set up a professional website in a few minutes. Everything, with a fluidity that leaves behind its American competitors.
Real uses: What can manus do for you?
Although Manus is not yet available for the general public, several of their capabilities are already known, shown through controlled demonstrations. These are some of the tasks you can perform:
- Create custom user data.
- Organize full trips, from flights to daily activities.
- Design educational animations and personalized study plans.
- Automate personal assistant tasks, such as managing emails, reserves and agendas.
- Execute tasks on the user’s computer through cursor control and use of applications.
This approach is not new. In 2024 it was presented Devin, an agent who simulated being a junior software engineer with the ability to receive orders for Slack and work in them autonomously. But Devin was accused of exaggerating his achievements. Instead, Manus seems to have come further, although it still remains to see if his real performance will live up to the expectations he has created.
A step forward or a latent threat?
The most discussed point around Manus is not its technical performance, but Who has created it and under what conditions it operates. The fact that it comes from a Chinese company has revived fears on data privacy and technological dependence. The tool needs deep access to the user’s computer to operate, including personal and financial data.
This raises a geopolitical dilemma: Do we want China artificial intelligence to have access to our habits, passwords, cards and emails? Manus needs those permits to function well, but does not offer the legal guarantees that companies such as Google or Meta would have, subject to Western regulations.
The comparison with the case of Tiktok or Deepseek is not free. Once millions of users adopt an app due to their usefulness or entertainment, it is almost impossible to restrict their use, although there are doubts about their safety. With Manus, that moment has not yet arrived, but the address is clear. The question is: will we arrive prepared?
The incentives that are accelerating this race
Behind the development of Manus there is not only technological ambition, but an unstoppable economic logic. Technology companies pay high salaries for works that, in theory, these agents could perform at a lower cost and more efficiently.
- A junior programmer can charge more than $ 100,000 a year in the US
- A travel assistant, a curricula designer or an event planner are well -paid profiles.
- If an AI can cover part of that work due to a cost fraction, companies will see in it a strategic investment.
Therefore, every new advance – as manus – arouses so much interest. Because if any of these tools work reliably, it will change not only the labor market, but the way we delegate responsibilities. Will we go from writing messages to bots, to have “virtual employees” who act on their own initiative?
What Manus doesn’t say (and we should ask ourselves)
For now, Manus is more promise than reality for most. Its limited access prevents a realistic evaluation. But even if you comply with what you show in your demos, there are essential questions that are still unanswered:
- What guarantees are on the use of private data?
- What happens if Manus makes an error that generates an expense or loss?
- Are you supervised by any international regulations?
- Who is responsible if he commits a legal infraction on behalf of the user?
These doubts are not secondary. They are the core of a future where smart agents are no longer tools, but semi-autonomous entities that operate in our digital environment. As if we hired an employee without contract, without insurance and without law.
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