Manus 2.0 Launches AI Agent Platform With Cue App, Cutting Costs by 32% After Meta Split

Manus 2.0 Rebuilds AI Agent Platform With New Architecture

Manus, the Singapore-based AI startup, released Manus 2.0 on Monday, marking a complete architectural overhaul rather than an incremental update1

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. The release introduces Cascade, a new agent harness that manages how agents are invoked and coordinated within projects, alongside Cloud Computer for persistent execution environments and expanded workflow automation tools1

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. This launch comes five months after China's National Development and Reform Commission blocked Meta's $2bn acquisition of Manus, forcing the startup to continue as an independent entity2

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Cascade System Cuts Token Usage by 23.2% and Costs by 32%

The Cascade agent harness represents a significant efficiency gain for the AI agent platform. In one tested configuration, Cascade used 23.2% fewer tokens, finished tasks in 28.2% less time, and cost 32% less to run than Manus's previous system3

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. The orchestration layer keeps projects lightweight by bringing in specialized capabilities only when required, helping enterprises manage operational costs more effectively1

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. Gartner Senior Director Analyst Anushree Verma noted that orchestration layers are becoming central differentiators for enterprise AI deployments, though they complement rather than replace underlying models1

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Cue App Gives Personal AI Agents Email, Phone, and Wallet

Manus simultaneously launched Cue, a standalone app for personal agents that directly competes with Meta's Muse app1

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. Each agent in Cue operates with its own identity and resources, including an email address, phone number, wallet, and computer2

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. These autonomous systems can send messages, make payments within user-defined budgets, and complete tasks independently on their own machines2

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. Users can create groups of agents that share a common goal and hand work to each other—for example, one agent researches venues for a New York launch while another makes a shortlist and a third drafts the presentation deck2

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Cloud Computer Enables Persistent Execution Environments

Manus 2.0 introduces Cloud Computer, a dedicated environment designed for projects requiring continuous operation1

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. This persistent execution environment provides a permanent home for automations or services that need to remain active even when a user's laptop is closed2

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. The feature addresses enterprise needs for always-on AI agent capabilities and infrastructure, particularly for workflow automation tools that must respond to events around the clock3

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Automations Add Event-Triggered Workflow Capabilities

Expanding beyond scheduled tasks, Manus 2.0 introduces Automations that enable event-driven workflows1

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. Tasks can now begin when something happens in connected services such as the arrival of new email, a Slack message, changes in ad performance, calendar events, or Notion updates3

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. This shift from time-based to event-based triggers makes the AI agent platform more responsive to real-world business conditions and user needs2

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Manus Studio Integrates Video Editor and Game Dev Environments

The desktop app has been upgraded to Manus Studio, a shared workspace combining documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, slides, websites, code, games, and video1

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. Two new environments stand out: Video Editor, designed for short product ads of 30 to 60 seconds, tutorials, and vlogs, provides a timeline of clips, images, text, and audio that users can manually swap2

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. Game Dev allows users to build and publish multiplayer games as websites, with servers running on Cloud Computer2

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. Both tools let users edit AI-generated content by hand, maintaining human oversight over autonomous systems3

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Governance Challenges Emerge With Remote Control Features

Manus 2.0 introduces remote control capabilities that enable the system to operate within a user's computing environment1

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. In authorized sessions, Manus works in its own visible workspace on the user's computer, accessing approved files, browsers, and apps to retrieve files, test applications, or continue work while the user is offline1

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. However, Verma cautioned that "the autonomy is ahead of the governance," recommending enterprises treat such systems as untrusted or semi-trusted automation with strong isolation, approval gates, detailed telemetry, and narrowly defined authority1

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. These governance challenges will shape how organizations deploy personal AI agents at scale.

Availability and China Market Expansion

Manus 2.0 is available now on web, desktop, and mobile platforms3

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. Cue is free to use in early access with the invite code MEETCUE on a first-come, first-served basis, with iOS availability coming after App Store review2

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. Following its split from Meta, Manus is building a team to develop products for the Chinese market and is in talks with local model makers and ecosystem partners2

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. This positions the company to compete in both Western and Chinese markets as the race for AI agent dominance intensifies.