Manus: What’s Happening After the Launch?

Manus dropped last week, and it’s been a wild ride ever since! Launched on March 6, 2025, by China’s Butterfly Effect crew, this so-called “world’s first fully autonomous general AI agent” hit the ground running, promising to tackle real-world tasks without needing a human babysitter. But what’s gone down since then? Let’s unpack the buzz, the gripes, and the big security questions swirling around it.

What’s Happened Since Manus Launched?

A Viral Explosion

Manus didn’t just launch. It blew up. Within days, it was all over X, with tech bigwigs like Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and Hugging Face’s Victor Mustar singing its praises. The Discord server ballooned to over 138,000 members fast, and invite codes were reportedly fetching thousands on China’s Xianyu marketplace. It’s like everyone wanted a piece of this AI action.

Early Wins and Stumbles

Users got their hands on it and started testing. Some were floored. For example, Andrew Wilkinson tossed it a zip file of 20 CEO applicant résumés, and Manus churned out deep dives on each one in no time. Others saw it whip up websites or plan trips like a pro. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Reports of crashes, endless loops, and “hallucinated” data like fake tweets about DOGE started popping up. It’s promising, sure, but it’s got some growing pains.

Developer Moves

The Butterfly Effect team didn’t sit still. They’ve been vocal about server overload issues, hence the invite-only vibe, and are scrambling to scale up. Chief scientist Peak Ji even admitted to MIT Technology Review that failure rates are higher than ChatGPT’s, but they’re on it, tweaking and fixing as feedback rolls in. They’re also hinting at open-sourcing some models later this year, which could shake things up even more.

What Are People Saying?

The Hype Train

The praise is loud. Victor Mustar called it “the most impressive AI tool I’ve ever tried,” raving about its agentic skills, like coding a ThreeJS game from a single prompt. Dean Ball on X said it’s “advancing the frontier,” not just copying U.S. tech. Some are even whispering “baby AGI” vibes, dreaming of a future where it runs Photoshop or Premiere solo.

The Skeptics Speak

Not everyone’s sold. TechCrunch’s Kyle Wiggers tried it and hit bugs: crashes on simple tasks like booking a table, or failing at a Naruto-inspired game. X users like @teortaxesTex slammed it as “optimized for influencers,” great for flashy trip plans but meh for coding or STEM. Others question if it’s truly new, since it leans on Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Alibaba’s Qwen models, not exactly built from scratch.

Mixed Feelings

MIT’s Technology Review nailed it: it’s like a “highly intelligent intern.” It’s adaptable with clear instructions, but it can stumble, assume wrong, or cut corners. Users love the transparency, like replayable sessions, but the glitches? Yeah, those sting. It’s a rollercoaster of “wow” and “wait, what?”

Security and Ethical Headaches

Data Privacy Worries

Here’s where it gets dicey. Manus runs in the cloud, chowing down on personal data to do its thing. But where’s that data going? China’s National Intelligence Law means companies like Butterfly Effect might have to hand it over to the government. Experts like Luiza Jarovsky on Substack are asking: “Who controls this info? How’s it protected?” Big red flags for anyone feeding it sensitive stuff.

Autonomy Risks

It’s not just data. Manus’s independence freaks some out. Cybersecurity pro Chris Duffy told Forbes it’s “alarming,” warning about manipulation or misuse by bad actors. A Hugging Face paper pre-launch argued fully autonomous AI like this shouldn’t even exist: too risky without human oversight. Think AI-powered surveillance or misinformation on steroids. Yikes.

Keeping It in Check

The consensus? Humans need to stay in the loop. Robust security, like sandboxed environments, and transparency from devs are musts. Without that, it’s a shiny toy with a dark side. Regulators are lagging, and that’s got folks nervous.

Wrapping It Up

Since launching on March 6, Manus has been a whirlwind: viral hype, jaw-dropping demos, and a hefty dose of “fix this!” from users. People are split: some see a game-changer, others a hyped-up glitch-fest. Security-wise, it’s a Pandora’s box: amazing potential, but those privacy and autonomy risks? Real talk. It’s early days, and Butterfly Effect’s hustling to polish it. Want more on this AI rollercoaster? Keep digging into what’s next for Manus. It’s only getting started!

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