The Next Breakthrough In AI Agents Is Here

In recent months, AI agents have gone from experimental to increasingly useful, with platforms like DeepSeek and OpenAI's Deep Research redefining what’s possible. Now, a new contender has entered the field—Manus, a general purpose AI agent that’s managed to capture global attention. In this episode of YC Decoded, President and CEO Garry Tan dives into how Manus' unique architecture sets it apart, what its launch says about the broader debate around GPT "wrappers," and why they might actually be more valuable than they first appear.

00:00 - Will Manus Change How AI Agents Work?
01:32 - What Is Manus And How Does it Work?
02:05 - What Sets Manus Apart
03:40 - What Can Manus Accomplish?
04:45 - The "Wrapper" critique
06:20 - The Pros of Manus
07:00 - The Cons of Manus
07:50 - What This Means For Founders

[chapterme]

Chapters (Powered by ChapterMe) -
00:00 - Coming Up
00:16 - Manus: First general AI agent
01:02 - Multi-agent AI system
02:42 - Dynamic task decomposition algorithm
03:34 - What can Manus accomplish?
04:01 - GAIA benchmark
04:31 - Wrappers: Most successful AI products today
06:06 - Manus pros: cost-effective and user control
06:58 - Limitations
07:50 - Founders: Invest in proprietary evals
08:22 - Outro

[PetrBrzek]

I want this kind of ad for my agent too!

[manmeetsethi]

The way manus coordinates between subagents is fascinating. I've been building something similar but smaller scale using mem0 for persistent memory across agent interactions. This video gave me some new ideas!

[priyanka]

Since its a wrapper, chatgpt will start offering this soon!

[MrDiglenson]

What's the breakthrough? Isn't that how multi agent orchestration works? A planner agent that delegates task to specialized agents.

[Tpb]

The future isn’t in these general purpose wrappers but domain specific applications with built in llms. E.g. MS 365 copilot, databricks etc.

[maggiemao]

Manus’s approach shows promise, but it has yet to deliver on its potential. While initial testing is interesting (even failed sessions), current use cases are limited and the cost is prohibitive. In conclusion, it may be best to wait.

[TerezaTizkova]

Proud to see E2B powering its code execution

[benvolio-fy]

The discussion on wrappers versus domain-specific applications is key - it's not about replacing existing tools, but intelligently integrating them for specific needs.

[tiagojoaoollo]

I've already cancelled my subscription - to be honest, each request can get too expensive. $10+ for a somewhat complex task is of course too low when compared to human labour but the ROI is simply not there when compared to non-agentic approaches.

[ReflectionOcean]

Quiz By "YouSum Live"

00:00:39 How does Manis differ from traditional chatbots?
00:01:01 What is the main innovation of Manis?
00:01:44 What is the role of the planner agent in Manis?
00:02:15 How many integrated tools does Manis utilize?
00:04:27 What benchmark did Manis excel in?
00:06:10 What are the advantages of Manis's multi-agent orchestration?
00:06:34 What unique feature does Manis offer regarding its file system?
00:07:34 What are the potential vulnerabilities of Manis?
00:08:04 What is essential for sustainable differentiation in AI products?

Quiz By "YouSum Live"

[TheFuturewithAI]

Absolutely mind-blowing. The depth and clarity in this breakdown of Manis really set a new bar for how we understand the future of AI agents. 🙌 It’s easy to get lost in the hype surrounding new tools, but this video actually grounds the excitement with solid insights—from the architecture and execution strategy to the real trade-offs and long-term implications for developers and founders.

The comparison to “rappers” was especially eye-opening. It reframes the conversation in such a productive way—reminding us that innovation often lies in orchestration, not reinvention. Manis doesn’t just ride the wave; it shows what’s possible when intelligent design meets thoughtful integration. 🔥

To the creator: Thank you for helping us see past the buzzwords and into what truly makes an AI agent usable and valuable. Subscribed and excited for what’s next.

Anyone else feel like we’re watching the operating systems of the future being born in real time? 👀💬

[gokhantourkkanli]

Very informative - great analyses. I love the conclusion! ❤

[AIForEducators-mphe]

Thanks! Greatly appreciated the breakdown and especially enjoyed the ending

[arydotexe]

The fact that this is already outdated is crazy... 48 hours! 😂

[hyugahyuga]

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[CodeBrewCS]

Manus is pretty cool i got on a few days ago

[KellyLCall]

"Really fascinating discussion on AI alignment challenges! It makes me think beyond just technical safeguards. What if the key lies in embedding foundational governing dynamics into AI reasoning itself? I've been exploring how 7 core Christlike principles (like Sovereign Accountability and Charitability) could serve as an ethical OS for AI, ensuring it develops not just competence, but wisdom and reverence. Curious if others are thinking along these lines?

[OneLastWo]

While this is not a huge break through, the direction Manis is pushing for will definitely be the norm in the future. The human brain is not just a blob that does everything, each unit in the brain has specific functions.

[lifelearner-sn]

I've just found out about it yesterday! thanks for sharing.