Meta's Manus Launches Desktop App for Local AI Tasks

Meta's AI startup Manus launched a desktop application on March 16, enabling its artificial intelligence agent to operate directly on users' Mac and Windows computers for the first time. Previously cloud-based and accessed via browsers, the app shifts Manus toward local control, allowing it to execute tasks on personal devices without relying on remote servers.

The new tool, called Meet My Computer, lets the AI agent interact with local files, applications, and tools through command-line instructions in the computer's terminal. Users can prompt the agent to perform actions such as organizing thousands of photos into categorized folders, renaming batches of documents like invoices based on their contents, or converting file formats. For instance, a florist could upload a disorganized folder of images, and Manus would scan them to create subfolders for bouquets, bridal arrangements, and other types, completing the task in minutes. Similarly, an accountant might automate the standardization of hundreds of files, a process that would otherwise take hours manually. Beyond file management, the agent can launch and control applications, build simple coding projects, use local GPUs to...