How to join Manus — the new AI assistant everyone is talking about

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Manus is generating significant buzz in the artificial intelligence world, earning comparisons to DeepSeek and attracting praise from tech luminaries. Developed by Chinese startup Butterfly Effect, this new AI assistant has quickly become a hot topic.

Unlike ChatGPT, Claude, and other single-model systems, Manus claims to be the “world’s first general AI agent” by using multiple AI models working in tandem — such as Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Qwen, and various independent agents to tackle a wide range of tasks.

This multi-agent approach potentially gives Manus capabilities beyond what we’ve seen in conventional AI assistants. However, as with any new AI system generating this level of hype, it’s worth approaching these promises with healthy skepticism until you can try it yourself.

Currently in beta, Manus requires an invitation to access. Here’s how to join this new AI assistant and what you can explore while waiting for approval.

How to sign up for Manus AI

1. Visit the Manus website

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Go to the Manus AI webpage. The homepage features extensive information about the system and an introductory video. Look for the Try Manus button located directly beneath the video and click it.

2. Apply for beta access

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Since Manus is still in beta testing, you must request access. Click the Apply for Access button to begin the application process.

3. Submit your application

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Enter your email address and provide a brief explanation of why you want to use Manus.

Be specific here about why you want to join Manus, as applications are manually reviewed. Once you’re finished, click Submit Request.

4 Wait for your invitation code

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If your application is approved, you’ll receive an email containing an invitation code. Once received, return to the sign-in page and enter this code to access the platform.

What to do while waiting for access

Explore use case demonstrations

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While waiting for your invitation, the Manus site offers a detailed showcase of its capabilities through interactive demonstrations. To find it, go back to the main webpage and scroll down.

These “use cases” provide step-by-step replays of Manus handling various tasks, giving you a preview of what to expect.

The demonstrations span several categories:

Review examples from users

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The site also features a section showing how other users already use Manus, providing additional insight into its real-world applications beyond the curated demos.

This can help you determine if Manus suits your particular needs.

As with any new AI system, especially one invitation-only, it’s important to remember that the demonstrations are likely showing Manus in its best light.

When you gain access, test it thoroughly across different use cases to evaluate its capabilities against the considerable hype it’s generating.

Submit a task suggestion

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Manus also allows potential users to submit task ideas. Click Let Manus try my task under the heading in the previous step.

Then, simply describe what you’d like it to do for you and submit your request.

If selected, your task might be featured in their demonstration gallery, and you’ll get to see how Manus would handle your specific request.

And that’s it—you’re ready to join Manus! While your invitation code is on its way, please take a moment to explore our other AI articles.

For ChatGPT users, don’t miss the 5 mind-blowing ChatGPT prompts you’ll wish you knew sooner and ChatGPT’s scheduled task feature is a game changer — 5 prompts to try first. And for those interested in Gemini, here are 9 prompts to get started.