Meta acquires intelligent agent firm Manus, capping year of aggressive AI moves (www.cnbc.com)

Meta has announced the acquisition of Manus, a Singapore-based developer of general-purpose AI agents. This strategic move aims to bolster automation across Meta's consumer and business products, including its AI assistant. Manus, which launched its first AI agent this year capable of executing complex tasks like market research and coding, has reported impressive financials, with an annualized revenue exceeding $100 million just eight months post-launch. The acquisition underscores Meta's commitment to enhancing its AI capabilities and securing top talent in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Manus will maintain its operations and subscription service uninterrupted, allowing for continuity in its offerings. The technology developed by Manus, which has already garnered attention from major companies like Microsoft, has processed over 147 trillion tokens and managed more than 80 million virtual computers. Meta's consolidation of Manus fits into its broader strategy of acquiring specialized AI startups to accelerate innovation, particularly as it focuses on the development of its open-source Llama language models. This acquisition highlights the ongoing competitive race among tech giants to integrate advanced AI solutions into their ecosystems.