A stampede of contenders and copycats has followed the launch of the general AI agent, but China’s internet restrictions have so far made it easier to cater to overseas users.

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China is experiencing a surge in AI agent development following Manus's successful launch, with startups like Genspark and Flowith creating autonomous systems that can handle complex tasks like trip planning and web browsing. These Chinese companies are primarily targeting global markets due to restrictions on Western AI models within China's firewall, while tech giants like ByteDance and Tencent are developing their own agents integrated into super-apps like WeChat. The competition highlights China's potential advantage in consumer AI products, though technical limitations with domestic models currently constrain local deployment.

Manus has kick-started an AI agent boom in China