My experience using Manus AI for a complex travel planning task
A quote from the book "Co-Intelligence": "Assume this is the worst AI you will ever use." If what I saw represents just the beginning, the future of AI assistance looks incredibly bright.
I recently got off the Manus AI waitlist and experimented with it, an AI agent that can handle complex multi-step tasks. I challenged it to plan a regional trip within China that included visiting a specific supermarket chain between my departure and destination points.
It took Manus about 20 minutes to complete this task — much faster than if I had done the work myself. I was impressed by its ability to pull together information from multiple sources, handle changes in plans, and create a schedule that felt considerate of real-world constraints. I enjoyed observing how it performed the tasks and seeing how quickly it iterated the plan when I gave additional information or questioned its research details.
What amazed me:
Manus researched travel options, found the best supermarket location to visit, and created a detailed itinerary with my toddler in mind. It researched different transportation options and selected the most suitable one — a high-speed train — for traveling with a child. It looked up train schedules and chose one that didn't depart too early, accommodating my requirements for a toddler-friendly schedule. It calculated travel durations accurately and made sure we had enough time to explore the supermarket.
What amazed me even more was the transparency of its process. I could actually see in a side screen how Manus was researching - it opened maps to locate starting points and destinations, created a todo list in markdown, searched information about the supermarket, and even checked Wikipedia to verify locations. It maintained work-in-progress documents on trip recommendations, allowing me to check its task progress at any time. I could also interrupt it at any point to provide additional information.
The only moment it needed my help was to complete a CAPTCHA - a reminder that there are still some barriers between AI automation and complete independence.
This task deducted 362 from my 1000 free credits. I suspect those credits won't last long for any other complex tasks.
This experience reminded me of a quote from the book "Co-Intelligence": "Assume this is the worst AI you will ever use." If what I saw represents just the beginning, the future of AI assistance looks incredibly bright.
Hi Yingying! Oh boy! I'm going to direct AI to plan my next week's roadtrip to San Diego: monitoring my blood-sugar level to tell me where to jump off the freeway for another Mexican CocaCola; where the CHP speed-traps are on I-5; what the best novel and vintage rocknroll are for roadtrip listening; arrange for my hotels along the way; choose the freshest dinners at local secret spots; tell me where the surf is best for my longboard; and culminating with a stay at the Hotel del Coronado. All for < $1,000.