Meta acquires China-founded AI agent Manus
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has agreed to acquire Manus, an artificial intelligence agent developed by a startup founded in China but now headquartered in Singapore.
The companies announced the deal on Monday, though financial terms were not disclosed. Analysts, however, cautioned that the acquisition could face regulatory hurdles amid intensifying technological rivalry between the United States and China.
Unlike conventional AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, AI agents are designed to autonomously carry out complex tasks on behalf of users, a capability widely seen as the next major leap in artificial intelligence.
Manus was created by Butterfly Effect and can perform tasks such as screening and summarising job applications or building a stock analysis website, according to the company.
Meta said the acquisition would help bring advanced AI agent technology to its global user base and expand opportunities for businesses across its platforms.
“The era of AI that doesn’t just talk but acts, creates, and delivers is only beginning,” Manus chief executive Xiao Hong said in a post on X, adding that partnering with Meta would allow the company to scale in unprecedented ways.
The acquisition aligns with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s aggressive push into artificial intelligence, which includes heavy investments in data centres, talent acquisition, and strategic purchases.
Bloomberg Intelligence analysts said the deal appears aimed at strengthening Meta’s AI agent capabilities and could be valued at more than $2 billion. However, they noted that Manus’ origins in China, despite its Singapore base, may attract heightened regulatory scrutiny.
