Manus has launched a text-to-video tool that turns text into short, structured videos within minutes.

The feature is currently limited to paid subscribers, but wider access is planned.

Manus competes with OpenAI’s Sora and other tools by Runway, Synthesia, and Google, which offer similar services through subscriptions or usage fees.

The launch follows Manus’s earlier success with an AI agent capable of handling complex tasks, and the company is backed by Benchmark Capital.

Major players from the US and China, including Alibaba and Tencent, are driving fierce competition in the fast-growing text-to-video space.

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🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Text-to-video AI is reshaping creative industries with accelerating development cycles

The entry of Manus into text-to-video generation highlights how rapidly this technology is evolving, with production timelines dramatically shortening across the industry.

Video editing tasks that previously required hours of work can now be completed in half the time using AI tools, providing significant cost savings particularly for smaller brands with limited resources 1.

This technology addresses a critical market need, the surging demand for video content that requires brands to produce high volumes quickly without exceeding budgets 1.

The competitive landscape has expanded rapidly with specialized tools emerging for different functions, from editing to avatar creation, rather than single all-in-one solutions 2.

As these technologies mature, they are transforming industries including entertainment, education, and marketing by automating labor-intensive processes while allowing creative teams to focus on storytelling and strategic elements 1.

2️⃣ US-China AI competition creates a bifurcated development landscape

Manus securing funding from Benchmark Capital amid escalating US-China tensions exemplifies how AI technologies are developing along two distinct pathways with different approaches.

China’s AI models are estimated to lag behind US models by approximately three to six months, but companies like DeepSeek have launched competitive models at a fraction of the cost, challenging US market valuations 34.

The contrasting approaches are evident in development philosophies, with Chinese companies often emphasizing open-source development while US firms frequently adopt closed-source approaches 5.

The semiconductor sector has become a focal point in this competition, with US restrictions triggering what some analysts describe as a “Chip War” that risks fragmenting the global technology ecosystem 6.

3️⃣ AI video generation is redefining content creation economics

Manus’s pricing strategy, offering the feature free for everyone after initial paid subscriber access, reflects the shifting economics in AI video generation, where cost efficiency is becoming a competitive advantage.

The financial impact of AI on content production is substantial, with automation of tasks like organizing footage, suggesting cuts, and enhancing audio quality significantly reducing production costs 1.

AI video generators vary widely in their pricing structures, with many platforms offering free trials or limited free plans to allow experimentation before financial commitment 27.

This transformation in content economics particularly benefits smaller creators and businesses who previously couldn’t afford professional video production but can now access tools that democratize high-quality video creation 1.

Recent Manus developments

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