In a strategic move reflecting the intensifying competition in Silicon Valley, Meta Group, the American company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, announced on Monday its full acquisition of the artificial intelligence tool Manus. This advanced tool was developed by Butterfly Effect, a company originally founded in Beijing, China, before relocating its headquarters to Singapore. The deal highlights the fierce race to dominate future technologies.
A qualitative leap from talk to action
This deal marks a new phase in the evolution of artificial intelligence, as the technology moves from mere chatbots that provide text and information to AI agents capable of executing tasks. Unlike models such as ChatGBT or China's DeepSec, which rely on text interaction, Manos is designed to be an independent execution tool.
Meta confirmed in its official statement that the new tool has the ability to manage complex tasks from start to finish without continuous human intervention. These capabilities include conducting in-depth market research, writing and executing code, analyzing big data, and even performing administrative tasks such as sorting employee resumes and booking travel tickets, making it a powerful productivity tool for businesses.
Details of the deal and its economic implications
Although the financial details of the deal were not officially disclosed, Bloomberg reports indicated that the developer's market capitalization was approximately $500 million. This move is part of Mark Zuckerberg's efforts to diversify Meta's revenue streams, as Manus currently relies on a paid subscription model, a model Meta has confirmed it will maintain across its app and website to serve its millions of existing users worldwide.
Geopolitical context and organizational challenges
This deal cannot be separated from the tense geopolitical context between the United States and China in the technology sector. The company behind Manos was founded in China and launched its services last March by special invitation, before relocating its headquarters to Singapore last June in a clear attempt to distance itself from trade restrictions and tensions.
Observers believe this deal could face scrutiny from US regulators due to the Chinese origins of the founding company, especially given Washington's strict restrictions on the transfer of advanced technology or the integration of software that may have past ties to Beijing. Nevertheless, Meta's success in completing this acquisition would significantly strengthen its position against competitors like OpenAI and Google in the race to develop the next generation of intelligent assistants.
