Emerging AI agent startup Manus has announced a strategic partnership with Qwen, the large language model developed by Alibaba Cloud. The collaboration aims to bring Manus’ full capabilities to China’s domestic AI models and computing platforms by leveraging Qwen’s open-source model series. Both companies have formed a close technical alliance, striving to develop a more creative general AI agent tailored for Chinese users. Alibaba Cloud confirmed the partnership, expressing its openness to further collaborations with global AI innovators.
Manus: The World’s First General AI Agent?
Manus was introduced in an early preview release by Butterfly Effect, a Chinese AI startup founded in 2023. In its debut video, Manus demonstrated its ability to complete complex tasks such as resume screening, real estate selection, and stock analysis—all through simple user commands. The product’s vision is to create an intelligent assistant capable of integrating and utilizing multiple tools autonomously.
Industry Experts Weigh In
According to Tian Feng, Director of the Fast & Slow Thinking Research Institute and former Founding Dean of SenseTime’s Intelligent Industry Research Institute, Manus represents an interesting innovation in AI agent technology:
“Manus allows the public to experience an intelligent assistant that can call multiple tools—a novel product concept.”
He emphasized that modular AI models, open-source APIs, and the increasing affordability of AI tools are accelerating product innovation, leading to the emergence of more consumer-facing AI solutions. Compared to fundamental AI breakthroughs like DeepSeek, product-level innovations like Manus follow a more user-centric logic and are relatively easier to implement.
Challenges & Industry Reflections
Despite its rapid rise, Manus faced criticism for server overload issues, with many users unable to log in due to high demand. Industry experts, however, see its popularity as a valuable case study for AI applications.
A tech investor interviewed by The Paper’s tech division noted:
“Although Manus is still an early-stage product with imperfections, its viral success offers valuable insights for AI entrepreneurs.”
Notable Product & Business Strategy
Unlike foundational AI projects, Manus did not develop its own large language model (LLM). Instead, it utilizes a mix of Claude and fine-tuned versions of Alibaba’s Qwen models, as disclosed by Ji Yichao, Manus’ Co-founder and Chief Scientist.
What sets Manus apart is its bold positioning as the “world’s first general AI agent”, coupled with a strong user experience and technical innovation. This early market traction has enhanced its commercial potential, paving the way for business collaborations and funding opportunities.
“2025 was already expected to be the ‘Year of AI Agents,’ but Manus was the first to deliver,” said the investor.
With this momentum, the AI agent industry is poised for rapid expansion, shaping the future of intelligent automation.
