Manus AI agent: how it works and real-world use cases

Manus AI, released in March 2025, is a new general AI agent designed to automate complex workflows and execute tasks autonomously. It has been evaluated against OpenAI Deep Research and has surpassed it in all three levels of difficulty.

This article explores how Manus AI works, its core capabilities, and real-world use cases demonstrating its potential impact.

How Manus AI works

Manus AI operates as a fully autonomous agent with its own computing environment. It performs tasks asynchronously, meaning users can assign tasks, close their laptops, and receive notifications when the work is complete. Key functionalities include:

1. Autonomous task execution

• Manus AI handles tasks from start to finish without requiring step-by-step user intervention.
• It can unzip files, analyze documents, extract key data, and generate structured reports.

2. Knowledge and memory retention

• Manus AI learns from past interactions and applies this knowledge to future tasks.
• If a user prefers output in a specific format (e.g., a spreadsheet), Manus AI remembers this preference.

3. Complex workflow automation

• Manus AI breaks down large tasks into smaller, manageable steps before executing them.
• It can integrate multiple data sources, perform computations, and compile detailed reports.

4. API and data source integration

• The agent accesses authoritative data sources through APIs for accurate, real-time insights.
• It validates data before proceeding with analysis, ensuring high-quality results.

Real-world use cases

Manus AI has been applied across various industries and use cases. Below are examples demonstrating its capabilities:

1. Resume screening and candidate ranking

Manus AI automates resume screening by:

• Extracting key details from multiple resumes.
• Comparing qualifications against predefined criteria.
• Providing a ranked list of candidates with supporting evaluations.
• Exporting results into structured formats such as spreadsheets.

2. Real estate market research

For real estate buyers and investors, Manus AI:

• Filters properties based on custom criteria (e.g., safest neighborhoods, school ratings, budget constraints).
• Writes Python programs to calculate affordability.
• Compiles reports summarizing the best options available.

3. Financial data analysis and visualization

Manus AI can process financial data by:

• Fetching stock market data from authoritative sources.
• Performing correlation analysis between stocks.
• Writing custom code for data visualization.
• Deploying interactive dashboards online for easy sharing and exploration.

4. Supplier research for B2B businesses

Companies sourcing suppliers use Manus AI to:

• Scan large supplier networks.
• Compare key metrics such as pricing, reliability, and location.
• Generate structured reports with recommendations tailored to business needs.

5. AI research for the clothing industry

Manus AI simplifies competitive research by:

• Analyzing AI-driven search products in the clothing industry.
• Comparing features, pricing, and performance.
• Delivering structured insights to inform business decisions.

Conclusion

Manus AI is designed to bridge the gap between planning and execution. Whether for research, automation, or data-driven decision-making, its ability to work independently makes it a valuable tool for businesses and professionals.

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