Meta acquires AI startup Manus for $2.5 billion, deepening global AI power struggle

Meta Platforms is paying $2.5 billion to acquire Manus, an artificial intelligence company that started in China but now calls Singapore home. The deal includes a $500 million pool to keep employees on board, according to sources with knowledge of the transaction. It’s a major moment in the battle for global AI supremacy, with a major American tech company acquiring a startup with strong Chinese ties. This is generating numerous questions regarding the future of other Chinese AI companies seeking to expand internationally and draw in American investment. Manus executives rejected Chinese offers to stay relevant in the West Manus , which came out of parent company Butterfly Effect, built a tool that cranks out detailed research reports and handles all sorts of complex tasks using AI models from Anthropic and others. But here’s where things get interesting. Manus’s leaders, Xiao Hong and Ji Yichao, have distanced themselves from China....

https://www.cryptopolitan.com/metas-acquisition-target-scrutiny-over-china/