MANUS AI ASSISTANT
AI startup Manus resumes independent operations after China blocks Meta’s $2 billion deal
Manus has now resumed independent operations after the regulatory intervention in the deal. The company informed users about data backups needed for its separation from Meta. This development follows Beijing's tightened controls on technology exports and cross-border transactions.
China used foreign tech to rise, but now it's slamming the door
China, once a keen learner of Western technology, is now shifting gears to protect its own innovations. New outbound investment rules, effective July 2026, signal a move from technology absorption to stringent protection. Beijing now views its advanced AI, chip, and green tech as strategic assets, aiming to prevent its hard-won know-how from leaving the country amidst escalating global tech competition.
Meta head of product for 'AI for work' transformation is leaving company
A key Meta executive overseeing AI tool improvements is departing. Emily Dalton Smith was leading efforts to centralise internal AI tools into Metamate. This initiative is part of a company-wide AI restructuring. The changes have caused employee concern. Dalton Smith will assist with the team's transition. Meta continues to integrate AI into Metamate.
Meta head of product for 'AI for work' transformation is leaving company
Meta is hitting a new chapter as Emily Dalton Smith, a key executive with a longstanding history at the company since 2015, exits. Her leadership in revamping internal AI tools was instrumental during a time of massive restructuring, which coincides with Meta's shift in AI strategy.
China tightens oversight of overseas investments amid tech rivalry with US
China has introduced new rules to tighten control over overseas investments. This directive aims to enhance national security reviews for cross-border capital flows. The regulations, effective July 1, prohibit the transfer of restricted goods, technology, services, and data abroad. Offenders face financial penalties, including fines and asset disposal.
Meta stock price, earnings and capital spending forecast: Meta revenue, layoffs, workforce changes, China deal setback, future outlook and investor concerns
Meta stock price, earnings and capital spending forecast stayed in focus after Meta raised its capital spending outlook and reported strong revenue. Shares fell in extended trading. The company expects higher AI infrastructure spending, steady ad growth, and continued regulatory risk in the US and EU. Meta also plans layoffs and more AI integration across products and workforce operations.
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Meta lifts capital expenditure forecast, doubling down on AI push
Meta Platforms is significantly increasing its capital expenditure forecast to between $125 billion and $145 billion by 2026, doubling down on AI infrastructure investments despite planned layoffs. The Facebook-parent's user base continues to grow, with daily active people reaching 3.56 billion.
Acko's $250 million IPO; Infosys' market cap plunge
New-age insurer Acko will soon confidentially file draft papers for its stock market debut. This and more in today's ETtech Top 5.
China bars Manus cofounders from leaving country as it reviews sale to Meta: Report
China has restricted two cofounders of artificial intelligence startup Manus from leaving the country as regulators review whether Meta's $2 billion acquisition of company violates the country's investment rules, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
Meta plans sweeping layoffs that could impact over 20% of workforce
Top executives have recently signaled the plans to other senior leaders at Meta and told them to begin planning how to pare back, two of the people said. The sources spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to disclose the cuts.
Alibaba upgrades Qwen app to order food, book travel
The new features, now in public testing in China, enable users to complete such tasks entirely within the AI chat interface, without switching between applications.
Big Tech’s AI shopping spree in 2025: Who bought what
This year's AI sector saw a surge in high-profile acquisitions, with companies prioritising talent acquisition through strategic moves like Google's Wiz acquisition and Meta's investment in Scale AI. OpenAI also made significant moves, acquiring io for $6.5 billion and Statsig for $1.1 billion, signaling a push into consumer hardware and application development.
Move Over ChatGPT- These AI Tools Are Redefining the Rule
While ChatGPT continues to headline the AI revolution, a powerful ecosystem of alternative AI tools is quietly rising. Many tools have stepped up the game, bringing a unique value proposition to the table, from real-time data integration to coding co-pilots.
There could be geopolitical tension over AI
Debarghya Das, principal, AI and infrastructure, Menlo Ventures, talks ET about OpenAI, geopolitics over AI and the ‘American Dream’. Das (32), who went from steering teams at Google and Glean to being one of the youngest investors in Silicon Valley, has led funding in Anthropic, the second-largest model developer after OpenAI.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai congratulates Meta on Llama 4 launch
Google CEO Sundar Pichai congratulated Meta on the launch of Llama 4 AI models, saying, "Never a dull day in the AI world!" Llama 4 includes Scout and Maverick, which are multimodal and outperform previous models. Llama 4 Behemoth, still in training, aims to surpass GPT-4.5 and Gemini 2.0 Pro
Do agentic AI startups need to differentiate?
The agentic AI space is evolving rapidly, with OpenAI’s Operator and China’s Manus AI leading innovations. While AI models are becoming commoditised, differentiation in workflow integration, automation, and UX remains crucial for agentic startups to sustain.
Beijing boosts AI startup Manus, as China looks for the next DeepSeek
Since China's DeepSeek shocked Silicon Valley by releasing AI models comparable to its U.S. competitors but developed at a fraction of the cost, Chinese investors have been on the lookout for the next domestic startup with the potential to upend the global tech order.
What to know about Manus, China's latest AI assistant
A powerful new AI tool Manus is making waves in China, fuelling hopes that it could replicate the success of DeepSeek, which earlier this year rattled the global tech industry with its state-of-the-art chatbot. - Whether Manus can achieve mainstream success like DeepSeek will depend on its ability to scale to meet demand, RSIS's Harjani told AFP. But Manus is unlikely to be the next DeepSeek as they are different types of AI applications, he added.
OpenAI launches new developer tools as Chinese AI startups gain ground
AI agents are designed to independently execute complex real-world tasks without direct human intervention, while API is a strings of code which enables standardized communication, data exchange and functionality between software components.
Elon Musk to lose 'world's richest man' title? Here's what is making a huge dent in his net worth
Tech billionaire Elon Musk's empire has been shaken. Is Musk going to lose 'world's richest man' title? It was a brutal Monday for the Trump ally as Tesla stocks nosedived 15 percent and his social media platform X suffered global outages thrice in a day. Tesla investors have expressed concerns over declining sales.
'One of biggest sources of fraud': DOGE chief Elon Musk explains why his team targeted USAID
DOGE chief Elon Musk has revealed why his team targeted United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries. Musk said his team saw that tremendous amount of money was being sent to NGOs but it was actually a 'scam'. USAID was established in the early 1960s.
Debut of Manus AI digital assistant from China causes stir
A new Chinese artificial intelligence agent billed as able to work independently from humans has sent insiders buzzing -- some with concern and others with disappointment. "We see it as the next paradigm of human-machine collaboration, and potentially a glimpse into AGI," he said, referencing general artificial intelligence that aims to think the way humans do.
Meta's winning streak erased as AI rivalry and recession fears hit hard; stock falls 4%
Meta stock dropped over 4 percent on Monday, erasing gains from its record 20-day winning streak. The decline comes amid growing recession concerns following Donald Trump’s comments and rising competition from China’s Artificial Intelligence assistant, Manus. Analysts are assessing the impact of this new AI challenge on Meta’s massive investments in artificial intelligence.
Zomato’s Eternal switch; China’s AI leap forward
Zomato shareholders have greenlit the parent company’s name change to Eternal. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
Tesla stock takes a 'charge' downward: Is Elon Musk's EV dream over?
Tesla's stock dropped nearly 45% in three months, but its market valuation remains high because investors believe in its future autonomous vehicle technology. Despite falling sales and profits, Tesla still holds a market cap of $845 billion, indicating strong investor faith in its potential for innovations like robotaxis and humanoid robots.
Charge at home, cabin for pets: Elon Musk showcases re-designed Tesla's new model Y. Check price, specifications
Elon Musk has shared a video of re-designed Tesla's new Model Y on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Model Y offers innovative storage solutions with power-reclining seats and an expanded cargo capacity. The new Tesla model Y features improved connectivity with enhanced Bluetooth and the Tesla App for remote functionalities.
Manus AI: China's new AI agent can plan your Japan trip and offer analysis of stocks. 10-point explainer
Manus AI, China's new Artificial Intelligence agent, has sparked a lot of buzz online. From planning your trip to Japan to offering an in-depth analysis of stocks to analyzing different insurance policies, Manus AI is the world’s first fully autonomous AI agent, a system that doesn’t just assist humans—it replaces them.
Manus AI: China's second DeepSeek moment
While DeepSeek signalled China’s progress in large language models, Manus is a leap into AI autonomy, capable of executing multi-step workflows, accessing authoritative data sources through application programming interfaces (API).
Another Chinese company rattles Silicon Valley, Manus AI stuns tech world with DeepSeek-level performance in complex task handling; is AGI closer than we think?
Manus AI is now an all-new AI application built by the Chinese and has taken on Silicon Valley, right after DeepSeek AI's causing of the market rout in the United States.
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