Tag: Manus

Meta is preparing to reverse its roughly $2 billion purchase of AI startup Manus after China’s National Development and Reform Commission issued a formal order canceling the transaction. The regulator gave the companies a few weeks to restore Manus’s Chinese assets to their pre‑acquisition state. The move forces Meta to write down a major AI investment and raises questions about how China will treat foreign‑owned tech firms with links to the country. Leggi di più

China’s National Development and Reform Commission ordered Meta to unwind its $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an agentic AI firm founded by Chinese engineers and now based in Singapore. The regulator gave no public explanation, demanding the parties pull the deal and imposing exit bans on the startup’s founders. About 100 Manus staff have already moved into Meta’s Singapore offices, and the block threatens Meta’s push into AI agents while raising fresh concerns in Washington about Chinese‑linked technology investments. Leggi di più

China’s decision to halt Meta’s purchase of AI firm Manus has thrown the deal into limbo, raising fresh uncertainty for both companies’ artificial‑intelligence plans. Manus founders Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao had already moved most of their staff to Meta’s Singapore office and stripped the startup of Chinese ties. The cancellation could prevent Manus from using Anthropic’s Claude models and marks a setback for Meta’s pivot toward AI after years of investing in the metaverse. Industry observers say the move underscores the growing tech rivalry between Washington and Beijing. Leggi di più

Anthropic introduced a computer‑use feature for its Claude AI model, allowing the system to interact directly with a user's desktop. The company emphasized a set of safeguards designed to block risky actions such as moving money, modifying files, or accessing sensitive data, though it warned that these protections are not absolute. Users are advised to start with trusted applications and avoid handling sensitive information during the preview phase. Anthropic’s rollout follows similar moves by Perplexity, Manus, and Nvidia, and comes after the viral spread of OpenClaw, which prompted OpenAI to hire its creator to advance personal agents. Leggi di più

Meta announced a $2 billion purchase of the AI firm Manus, which recently moved its operations to Singapore. Chinese regulators are reviewing the deal for possible export‑control violations, questioning whether Manus required a license to relocate. The acquisition would keep Manus operating independently while giving Meta access to its large‑scale token processing and AI expertise. The regulatory review adds uncertainty to the transaction, though both companies say the partnership will enhance Meta’s AI portfolio. Leggi di più

Meta has completed a high‑profile acquisition of Manus, an AI startup famed for its custom research and website‑building agents. Valued at more than $2 billion, the deal marks one of the largest purchases of a company emerging from China’s AI ecosystem. Manus, originally known as Butterfly Effect, describes itself as “the first general AI agent,” drawing on models such as Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Alibaba’s Qwen to automate tasks ranging from market research to coding. The startup, now based in Singapore after laying off most of its Beijing staff, claims to serve millions of users and generate over $100 million in annualized revenue just eight months after launch. Leggi di più

Meta Platforms has agreed to purchase Manus, a Singapore‑based artificial‑intelligence startup known for its versatile AI agents. The deal, valued at roughly $2 billion, follows Manus’s rapid rise after a high‑profile funding round that drew investors such as Benchmark, Tencent and others. Meta plans to keep Manus operating independently while integrating its technology into Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The acquisition also addresses U.S. political concerns about Chinese ties, as Meta says Manus will cease any operations or ownership links in China after the transaction. Leggi di più