The company in March previewed what it called a general AI agent capable of web-based tasks from screening resumes to creating trip itineraries in response to basic instructions. — Pixabay
Chinese-founded startup Manus is rolling out a feature that allows broad research by assigning tasks to scores of AI agents working in tandem, in potentially the biggest update since launching its signature artificial intelligence platform in March.
The function, called Wide Research, will enable Manus to process large numbers of data entries simultaneously by roping in multiple AI agents, according to people familiar with its tech development. The tool will become available as soon as this week, the people said, starting with a top-tier subscription priced at US$199 (RM846) a month.
They added that users will be able to perform some tasks that other agentic tools like OpenAI’s Deep Research could struggle with, such as generating 50 poster designs, ranking the top 100 global MBA programs or analysing more than 1,000 stocks.
Bloomberg News wasn’t immediately able to verify the claims. A Manus spokesperson didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment.
The company in March previewed what it called a general AI agent capable of web-based tasks from screening resumes to creating trip itineraries in response to basic instructions. The following month, it secured US$75mil (RM320mil) in funding led by US venture firm Benchmark, prompting rivals like ByteDance Ltd and MiniMax to develop their own AI agents. In June, Manus added an AI video generator to its offering.
Manus’s tech team has spent the last two months developing the new function, hoping it will differentiate their product, the people said, asking to remain anonymous discussing private information. Co-founder Peak Ji is set to demonstrate Wide Research in a video much like he did when debuting Manus, they said.
The company recently shifted its operations out of China to Singapore, Tokyo and San Mateo, California. Its product, which isn’t available in China, is built atop large language models like Anthropic’s Claude. Tencent Holdings Ltd, HSG (formerly Sequoia China) and ZhenFund are among its early investors. – Bloomberg
