I recently got access to Manus, which is one of the very first AI systems that is fully agentic. Unlike ChatGPT or Gemini, which can do some web searching and deep thinking before providing text or images back, what makes Manus really powerful is that it has its own virtual computer that it can run things on.
What Makes Manus Special?
Manus can browse the web, create, edit, and read files, and run bespoke Python, HTML, or any other code. It is currently invite-only access, but the application process is straightforward.
One of the most compelling use cases I’ve explored is automating regulation documents, dashboards, and reporting. I’ve seen NZ businesses spend hours on this kind of work every week. This works at a high level where a regulatory body dictates what needs to be publicly disclosed, or even just for your direct manager where you have raw data that needs to be formatted into a polished report.
The Chocolate Sales Example
For this demonstration, I provided Manus with two files: a regulation PDF outlining disclosure requirements for a chocolate company, and a CSV file with raw chocolate sales data. My single prompt was simple: “Given the provided regulation outlines, use the chocolate sales CSV to do a yearly regulation reporting disclosure.”
Manus followed everything in the regulation document, matched it to the CSV data, and produced the complete output.
Live Replay Feature
One really cool feature of Manus is that you can watch a live replay of its work. It breaks down the different steps it takes, and you can see it working through its checklist - switching between the editor, command line, and actual documents on its virtual computer screen.
The Website That Blew My Mind
After completing the disclosure report, Manus prompted me asking if I wanted to display the information on a website. I said yes, and within about 10 minutes it built and deployed a full website from scratch. It included:
- General regulation information
- Sales metrics with graphs and visual breakdowns
- Statistical analysis in human-readable terms
- Methodology documentation
- A limitations section identifying gaps in the data
Smart Limitation Detection
The most impressive part was something I didn’t ask for. The regulation PDF referenced requirements for specific reporting periods, grocery retail data, convenience store breakdowns, and other information. The data I provided didn’t include all of that.
Rather than making up data or ignoring the gaps, Manus identified the limitations and documented exactly which regulation requirements couldn’t be met due to missing data. It even addressed what you should do about it - all without being asked.
Cost and Value
This entire process, from one prompt to a fully deployed website with complete regulation reporting, cost approximately $6 USD. When you consider the hours of manual work that typically go into reporting and disclosures, that’s incredible value.
