Manus Agents Challenge OpenClaw With No-Setup Personal AI Assistants
Things are happening fast in Silicon Valley, no, in the entire AI world: Peter Steinberger, creator of OpenClaw, has just announced that he is switching to OpenAI and wants to tackle the topic of agents for everyone there (and is putting OpenClaw into a foundation). Then Meta subsidiary Manus from China/Singapore announces that it is also bringing personal AI agents to market.
As a reminder: Mark Zuckerberg also wanted to see Peter Steinberger work for him, but Sam Altman from OpenAI ultimately made the deal. Now Manus, which was acquired by Meta for approximately two billion dollars at the end of December 2025, is being sent into the race for the better AI agent. Much of it (though not all) strongly reminds one of the things that OpenClaw promises its users.
First via Telegram, later also WhatsApp
Because Manus has introduced a new service that promises full-fledged artificial intelligence directly in messaging platforms. The feature called Manus Agents initially launches on Telegram and allows users to control complex digital workflows via ordinary chat messages. The system differs fundamentally from simple chatbots in that it has persistent memory and independently plans and executes multi-step tasks.
The technology continuously stores information about the writing style, tone, and personal preferences of users. These learned patterns are automatically applied by the AI to new tasks. Users can send text messages to create presentations, program websites, or generate image material. For these functions, the system accesses linked external services such as Gmail, Google Calendar, or Notion. The software analyzes the context of incoming messages and independently develops work steps in the background without users having to manually trigger each step.
Setup and Functionality
The connection between Manus and Telegram requires no technical knowledge. Users open the agents section in their existing Manus workspace and scan a displayed QR code with their smartphone. The pairing happens immediately afterward without configuration files or programming interfaces. The company has strictly limited the agent’s access rights: the AI reads only direct messages in its own chat history and technically has no access to other conversations, groups, or contact lists. Users can also choose between different personality settings, ranging from concise to structured to conversational. Likewise, the underlying AI model can be selected – Manus 1.6 Max for in-depth thinking processes or Manus 1.6 Lite for faster tasks.
The assistant processes different media formats directly within Telegram. Users send voice messages, images, or text documents to the chat, whereupon the AI immediately transcribes voice recordings and interprets the underlying intent. The system then executes the necessary actions without manual file management. These functions are available to all users regardless of their chosen subscription.
The Telegram integration could be problematic for some users – they report via X that Telegram may have blocked the Manus agents, at least temporarily.
Platform Strategy and Outlook
With Manus Agents, the company is responding to growing demand for personal AI assistants, which became visible through services like OpenClaw. While OpenClaw involves complex setup processes, regular maintenance, and unpredictable costs, Manus aims for a low-barrier solution for broad user groups. Integration into already-used communication tools significantly lowers the barrier to entry. Telegram is merely the beginning – the company is already preparing integration with Messenger, which is to take place in the coming weeks.
For the next thirty days, a co-founder of the company has announced extensive expansions. Planned are the ability to create specialized agents and integrate them into group chats, as well as support for additional platforms such as WhatsApp, LINE, Slack, and Discord. Furthermore, Manus is working on native applications for Windows and Mac. A particularly far-reaching feature is intended to enable the AI to directly operate the user’s computer. These developments show that Manus is increasingly shifting the control of complex software into everyday communication channels and thus blurring the line between messaging and productive work software.
