On Tuesday, Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup Manus took a significant step forward by registering its China-facing AI assistant and earning its first appearance on state media, underscoring Beijing’s efforts to back homegrown AI companies with international recognition.
The move follows China’s recent spotlight on DeepSeek, a domestic AI firm that stunned Silicon Valley by releasing models comparable to leading U.S. competitors at a fraction of the cost. This achievement has spurred a surge of interest from Chinese investors eager to identify the next breakthrough startup capable of challenging global tech giants.
Among the frontrunners is Manus, which gained viral attention on social media platform X a few weeks ago with its claim of developing the world’s first general AI agent. Unlike traditional AI chatbots like ChatGPT or DeepSeek’s offerings, this agent is designed to make decisions and execute tasks with far fewer prompts, showcasing its advanced autonomy.
Beijing is now signaling its support for Manus, mirroring its response to the success of DeepSeek. In a notable display of backing, state broadcaster CCTV aired a segment on Manus on Tuesday, highlighting the key distinctions between its AI agent and DeepSeek’s chatbot.
In a move that further cements Manus’ growing influence, the municipal government of Beijing announced the registration of Monica, a Chinese version of Manus’ earlier AI assistant. The approval marks a critical regulatory milestone, as all generative AI applications in China must adhere to strict rules to ensure content remains within the country’s regulatory boundaries.
This latest development follows Manus’ announcement of a strategic partnership with the team behind Alibaba’s Qwen AI models, which could significantly enhance the deployment of Manus’ AI agent. Currently, the agent is available only to a limited number of users with invite codes, but with a growing waiting list of 2 million, the company’s domestic rollout seems poised for expansion.
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