Manus, an AI platform launched in preview last week, has quickly gained widespread attention, with tech influencers and Chinese media calling it a breakthrough.

The platform, developed by Chinese company The Butterfly Effect, claims to be an advanced 'agentic' AI capable of handling complex tasks autonomously. Early adopters scrambled for invite codes, some of which were reportedly resold for thousands of dollars on Chinese marketplaces.

Despite the hype, users report significant performance issues. The platform relies on existing AI models, including Anthropic's Claude and Alibaba's Qwen, rather than proprietary technology.

Early testing revealed frequent errors, with some users encountering endless loops and failures when attempting tasks such as booking flights or ordering food. Even seemingly straightforward requests resulted in incomplete or broken responses, raising doubts about Manus' readiness for real-world use.

Critics argue that exclusivity and marketing have fueled Manus' popularity more than its actual capabilities. Viral videos misrepresented the platform's abilities, while comparisons to Chinese AI firm DeepSeek exaggerated its technological depth.

The developers acknowledge the shortcomings, describing the closed beta as a stress test and promising improvements. For now, the platform's rapid rise appears to be driven more by perception than performance.