After Deepseek, China has unveiled a new artificial intelligence system known as “Manus AI”. This system has emerged as a digital supervisor primarily designed for white-collar office workers. Within just one week of its launch in March, Manus AI had already collected a waiting list of two million users. This AI tool was introduced by the Beijing-based startup Blood Butterfly Effect.
This cutting-edge technology monitors, evaluates, and guides employees’ work, fundamentally transforming the role of human managers. Additionally, it has the potential to make various office tasks simpler and more efficient.
How Manus AI Works
Manus AI’s core feature is its advanced screen monitoring technology. This agentic AI model uses Anthropic’s Claude and Alibaba’s Qwen models to operate with independent perception, reasoning, and action capabilities. The system monitors every activity on employees’ computers, including mouse movements, keyboard usage, application time, email exchanges, and websites browsed. By analyzing this data, the AI provides comprehensive insights into employees’ productivity, efficiency, and work quality.
Developed by the Beijing-based tech company, this system is specifically designed for corporate environments. It not only monitors employees but also sends automated reminders about task progress and deadlines. If an employee’s work pace falls below expectations or their output quality dips below set criteria, the system issues alerts and recommends corrective actions.
The platform currently offers 1,000 free credits for new users and 300 daily credits for free accounts, aiming to rapidly expand its user base in the increasingly competitive AI market.
Social and Economic Impact
As part of China’s broader AI ecosystem, platforms like Deepseek’s Manus AI represent a smart course correction. According to official Chinese statistics, by 2024, the country’s AI industry surpassed 150 billion yuan (approximately 23 billion USD). Under the “Made in China 2025” initiative, the government is actively promoting AI innovation, leading to the rapid emergence of numerous AI startups in the country.
Economic experts suggest that systems like Manus AI could bring significant transformations to the Chinese workforce. Initial estimates indicate that such AI technologies could contribute an additional 1.8 trillion yuan (around 278 billion USD) to China’s GDP by 2030—an impressive projection.
Concerns and Criticisms
Despite having a two-million-user waitlist within just a week of its launch, the technology has raised several concerns. Labor rights organizations fear that AI systems like Manus could place undue pressure on workers due to their limited ability to understand job complexity.
Privacy experts have also warned that systems like Manus AI may pose new challenges for data protection and workplace confidentiality. There are concerns that such data might be repurposed for other uses, especially in environments where data protection laws are not stringent.
Sociologists have raised another concern: long-term interaction with AI supervisors might negatively affect workers’ mental health. Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have identified a new psychological condition called “Digital Supervision Syndrome,” in which employees feel anxiety, depression, and a loss of self-esteem due to constant monitoring.
Future Prospects
Experts believe that systems like Manus AI are set to become a permanent fixture in China’s corporate landscape. Industry analysts predict that over the next five years, the market for such workplace AI systems will grow at an annual rate of 35%.
Although initially developed for white-collar professionals, developers are already exploring applications in manufacturing, healthcare, and education sectors. A company representative mentioned plans to launch an international version soon, aiming to expand into Southeast Asia and other markets beyond China.
Manus AI reflects the rapid growth of China’s AI ecosystem, where technology is redefining workplace relationships and productivity. While the technology is still in its early stages, its long-term impact remains to be fully understood.
Fueled by 75 million dollars funding round led by U.S.-based Benchmark Capital, Manus AI has accelerated its development, with its valuation reaching \$500 million—a butterfly effect that has positioned the company among China’s most promising AI startups since the rise of Deepseek AI.
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