Meta Platforms Inc., led by Mark Zuckerberg, has made a substantial leap in its artificial intelligence strategy through the acquisition of Manus AI, a promising startup based in China that specializes in autonomous agents. This move extends Meta’s ambitions in AI, moving beyond the more conventional chatbot models towards sophisticated digital assistants capable of complex, multi-layered tasks.
Manus AI is known for developing general-purpose artificial intelligence agents that act in a manner akin to digital employees. These agents are engineered to autonomously conduct research, automate processes, and execute multiple steps with minimal human intervention, thereby significantly reducing the need for extensive prompting.
On the Monday following the acquisition announcement, Meta revealed plans not only to operate Manus AI’s services but also to commercialize them. The intent is to incorporate Manus’ advanced autonomous agent technology into Meta’s broader AI ecosystem and integrate it into various other products developed by the company. Details regarding the financial aspects of this transaction were not disclosed.
This development builds on Meta’s earlier commitment to artificial intelligence this year, notably its sizeable $29 billion investment in Scale AI, a data-labeling company. In this arrangement, Meta acquired a 49% stake in Scale AI and strengthened its AI leadership by bringing Alexandr Wang, Scale AI’s founder and Meta’s chief AI officer, further into the company’s strategic initiatives. Wang publicly confirmed the Manus acquisition through a post on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter.
Manus AI has positioned itself as a challenger to existing AI solutions, notably claiming performance advantages over OpenAI’s DeepResearch tool. The startup, a subsidiary of Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology Ltd., gained attention for completing numerous real-world user tasks openly on X, offering these services at no charge. Earlier in 2025, Manus secured $75 million in a funding round led by Benchmark Capital, with participation from notable investors including Tencent Holdings, ZhenFund, and HongShan Capital.
Market reactions to Meta’s recent AI activities have been mixed. On Monday, Meta’s shares declined by approximately 0.69% during regular trading hours and saw a further decrease of 0.27% in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro data. Despite these short-term setbacks, Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings indicate a positive price trend in the immediate term, though they forecast a bearish medium- to long-term outlook for Meta.
Meta’s ongoing AI developments, evidenced by the Manus acquisition, affirm the company’s pivot toward more autonomous and capable AI systems, potentially redefining its product suite and competitive positioning within the rapidly evolving AI landscape.