Latest news with #Manus
CNBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
4 AI tools to help with your side hustle: One ‘increased my website traffic by 30%,' says expert
Summer's here and with it opportunities to earn some extra cash. You could rent out your home to travelers on Airbnb or Facebook, pet sit for families going away, create social media content about your job — the opportunities are endless. If there's a chore that needs doing, someone could very well pay you to do it. And there are tools to streamline and make your side hustle easier once you've gotten started. That includes various AI tools introduced in the last few years. Here are four to consider using according to side hustle experts. Claude is a generative AI tool built by Anthropic. Like ChatGPT, you can use text, audio and visual prompts to create various written content. Jen Glantz, founder of Bridesmaid for Hire and the creator of the Monday Pick-Me-Up and Odd Jobs newsletters, uses Claude "to write out social media strategies and posts," she says. "I will share my own social media pages as well as other people's content I admire. I'll ask the tool to generate a 30-day plan for me with captions, posts, hashtags, and more." There are three plans for those interested in trying out the bot: a free plan with basic capabilities like analyzing text and images and creating content; a $17 per month plan, which allows for access to research and connecting to Google Workspace; and a $100 per month plan, which offers early access to advanced Claude features. Swiftbrief is an AI tool geared toward improving SEO strategy. "The tool helps me identify topics I should focus on by analyzing my website and competitors and then writes the blog posts for me," says Glantz. "This has saved me thousands of dollars and increased my website traffic by 30%." Subscriptions cost $12, $119 or $239 per month, depending on the amount of insights you want to derive from the bot. This tool allows you to create and manage automatic messages with people who interact with your social media platforms. "You can program it to answer direct messages and also to share links with followers if they comment on your posts asking more about products, outfits, or items that you share," says Glantz. "It's like having a social media assistant on-call 24/7." If you've seen a call to action on Instagram like "comment 'toast' to get the recipe" and gotten a DM with that recipe, that could have been Manychat at work. Subscriptions range from free to "customized to fit your needs," according to its website. Manus is an AI tool designed to do complex tasks like create websites, analyze stocks and build itineraries. Side hustle expert Daniella Flores has used Manus to build a Pinterest schedule for the month, including images and descriptions they could post, for example. "You can tell it to do, like, 20 different things if you want to in one message," they say, adding that "it'll show the windows that it's browsing, what it's doing behind the scenes." You can tweak your ask even while it's working to ensure you get the results you're looking for. There's a free version of Manus, as well as versions that cost $16, $33 and $166 per month, depending on the amount of video generation, slide generation and other capabilities you want to use and unlock.
ABC News
21-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
School sports program taking shape in Manus Province thanks to dedicated primary school teacher
Through persistence and passion, a school sports program in Manus Province is finally taking shape after many years, thanks to primary school teacher Michael Kuam. Mr Kuam, the Head Teacher at Timoenai Primary School, started teaching in 2013 and is passionate about sport. "Going through the education system as a student, I was always looking for an opportunity to play sports and also study but I was unable to find a school that provided such a program until I graduated as a teacher" he said. "Seeing that, I decided to set up the Manus School Sports program." His goal is for students with a passion for sport to be given the opportunity to fulfil their dreams. Team Timoenai Primary School Under-14 boys take the field during the interschool carnival last year. ( Supplied ) His dream started from inside his classroom, grew to the school level, onto the local level government (LLG), and now the province, with hopes to take the program nationwide. "I am trying to set a structure or pathway and connect with all important stakeholders I come across" Kuam explained. "I do it all for the passion for sports. Sometimes without funding assistance but I never gave up." Eventually he begun to get recognition from the local authorities which pushed him further towards realising his dream for the sports program. The President of Pobuma LLG, the governor of Manus and the Open Members office have all been supportive of his endeavours and he insists that appropriate officers from the local education division take lead in the program as they are in charge of schools in the province. He is also thankful for key stakeholders, like the Manus Soccer Association and PNG Sports Foundation (PNGSF), New Guinea Islands office, through Mr. Sapau Tapo, who assisted the program with sporting equipment last year. School sports carnival that was hosted by Timoenai Primary School last year. ( Supplied ) A request was put through for Kuam to be the PNGSF School Sports Nursery Co-ordinator Manus for the Go Rural to Go Global strategy — a bold program that was initiated by the former PNGSF CEO Albert Veratau to develop sports through nurseries right around the country in rural areas. "Although I was not formally notified, I continued to perform the duties," he said. "Our most recent event was in Kavieng where we brought our Under 16 team both boys and girls to compete at the Inaugural New Guinea Islands Regional Youth Games. "We have plans to send an U17 and U19 team to compete in any national events in the future." Currently he is on the ground coordinating with his counterparts in the province to host inter-school carnivals across the 12 LLG's of the province. Manus is a province where access to services mostly depends on marine transportation but despite the odds, Kuam's passion remains unabated as he gives his time assisting with soccer, athletics and boxing on the island.
Bloomberg
18-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Tencent-Backed MiniMax Releasing AI Tools to Take On Manus
Chinese upstart MiniMax is slated to roll out a pair of AI products that autonomously perform tasks on behalf of users, upping its game in the realm of agentic AI against the likes of OpenAI and Manus. The products include a general AI agent similar to that of Manus that solves everyday tasks, and another autonomous tool for video generation, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The Shanghai-based company plans to roll out the services to the public this week, said the person, who asked to not be identified discussing private information.
The Star
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Agentic AI in the spotlight: What happens when bots make decisions for you?
Thanks to the increasing accessibility of large language models (LLMs) in recent years, more users are now interacting with AI-powered applications such as ChatGPT. In March, OpenAI released a major upgrade for its GPT-4o model to allow users to natively generate or modify images or photos, claiming that the model is capable of 'precise, accurate and photorealistic outputs'. A 2024 Work Trend Index by Microsoft and LinkedIn also revealed that 84% of people in Malaysia have started using AI to save time at work. It has also led to the growth of 'AI power users' or people using AI frequently on a daily basis. While AI has proven to be useful for generating images and helping employees be more productive at work, its potential can extend far beyond content creation and productivity tweaks. Monash University Malaysia School of Business associate professor Dr Manjeevan Singh Seera says the next evolution for AI is Agentic AI, which is a system capable of making decisions independently based on data and what it has learned, rather than just helping humans make choices. 'Current AI models require a lot of human intervention, where you have to key in inputs (or prompts) and make adjustments along the way as it may not always give the right solutions. 'It mostly provides suggestions or support but agentic AI could actually handle tasks on its own, especially routine ones, without human oversight,' he says in an interview with LifestyleTech. The next big thing? A Bloomberg report in 2024 describes 'agents that do work for you' as Big Tech's new AI obsession, with entities like software company Salesforce signing a deal to install AI agents at more than 200 companies including Fedex and Accenture. The report also shares details about how an insurance company has deployed an AI agent to handle 60% of customer requests – communicating via phone, email or chat – and was trained on 300 hours of human voice. In a podcast last year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says agents are 'the next giant breakthrough', describing the prospect as akin to collaborating with a 'really smart senior coworker' that can work together with users on a project. Manjeevan says a shift towards developing agentic AI can be seen through OpenAI's introduction of Deep Research in February. The company describes it as an 'agent that can do your work for you independently' where through a prompt on ChatGPT, it will find, analyse and synthesise hundreds of online sources to create a comprehensive report at a more detailed level than the usual chat response. With more access to tools like Deep Research and Manus, Manjeevan says it's possible for Agentic AI to simplify life by taking over complicated tasks like tax filing. — ASSOC PROF DR MANJEEVAN SINGH SEERA 'For example, say you need to plan a trip to Japan. You key in a prompt with details about your trip and what you have in mind. It will do the research for you and provide a comprehensive travel itinerary,' Manjeevan says. In March, China-based startup Butterfly Effect released Manus, an agentic AI platform where it could reportedly perform real-world tasks like organise an interview session with 40 candidates, prepare a report to compare insurance policies and more. Some users on X say they have used Manus to perform lengthy research and built a website based on the result it presented. With more access to tools like Deep Research and Manus, Manjeevan says it's possible for Agentic AI to eventually simplify life by taking over complicated tasks like tax filing. 'Imagine an AI system automatically analysing your receipts, calculating deductions, preparing tax forms and submitting them. It could help you to save time and reduce mistakes. 'Currently, users have to key in details manually and figure out on their own what is claimable for tax filing. But (I believe) with Agentic AI, you can just provide all your receipts and it can tell what is a business expense, personal and so on,' he adds. Recent reports support this vision with firms like PWC announcing earlier this year that it has developed AI agents that can gather financial data, analyse tax laws and generate reports with minimal human input. Similarly, Salesforce says as Americans spend an average 13 hours filing taxes every year, AI agents could reduce that time by 62%. Double agent? Is Malaysia ready for Agentic AI? Manjeevan says there is work that needs to be done before Agentic AI can be widely adopted. 'The main challenges are creating clear regulations and earning public trust. Industries like banking, e-commerce, and healthcare would likely gain the most, as these sectors deal with complex tasks where AI can make a big difference,' he says. Manjeevan says Malaysians will also likely need time to fully trust AI with more complex and sensitive tasks. He also wonders who will be responsible when Agentic AI is misused – for example, when it has the autonomy to generate and publish potentially harmful content? 'There should be a collaborative effort between the public and private sector in establishing public trust by addressing possible concerns. The National AI Office here can take the lead in fostering this collaboration,' he adds. With Malaysia's diverse population, Manjeevan also stresses the need for AI systems to be trained on a broad range of data, particularly in local languages and cultural contexts. Since most AI tools are developed in foreign countries, they may struggle to accurately represent certain segments of the population or even exclude them due to gaps in the training data. 'One major risk is AI systems reflecting biases or unfairness that exist in their training data, leading to unfair or inaccurate decisions. It's essential to extensively test AI systems before launching them,' he says. For Malaysia to become an AI-driven nation, Manjeevan says transparency is crucial as consumers will be able to trust the technology more when they understand its function, how it makes decisions and be able to see for themselves how it performs reliably with consistency. 'Clear rules, regular independent audits, and openly designed AI systems would help ensure fairness and reduce misuse,' he adds.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
AI upstart Manus starts text-to-video service to take on OpenAI
HighlightsManus has introduced a text-to-video generation feature, allowing users to create videos from text instructions in minutes, amidst competition from OpenAI, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., and Tencent Holdings Ltd. The company, which gained attention after launching its AI service capable of performing multistep tasks, offers early access to paid subscribers before making the feature available for free to all users. As the text-to-video generation market grows, Chinese companies like Alibaba and Tencent are challenging proprietary Western competitors, indicating a potential disruption in industries such as entertainment, education, and marketing. Manus unveiled a text-to-video generation feature, entering a competitive segment populated by rivals from OpenAI to China's Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. The upstart, whose AI service is known for its ability to carry out multistep tasks the way humans do, said users can now similarly generate videos with text instructions. Its AI agent can transform a text command into a structured, sequenced video story in minutes, the company said on X. Paid subscribers get early access before Manus rolls out the feature for free for everyone. The company is taking on competitors like OpenAI's Sora, which is available to paid subscribers via ChatGPT, with the Pro version costing $200 a month. Other Western contenders like Runway, Synthesia and Google price their offerings based on subscription or pay-per-use. Manus, which has Chinese roots, was little known until the debut of its AI agent this year, just weeks after peer DeepSeek rattled the global market with its cost-efficient model. Manus' owner Butterfly Effect made global headlines for snagging venture funds from high-profile Silicon Valley investor Benchmark Capital, right in the midst of escalating US-China tensions in fields including artificial intelligence . Text-to-video model creators are forging ahead with technological advances. Chinese giants' open source products, such as Alibaba's Wan and Tencent's Hunyuan, are challenging proprietary Western competitors. At stake is a multibillion-dollar market with the potential to disrupt industries like entertainment, education and marketing.
