Meta confirmed on December 30, 2025 that it’s acquiring Manus, a fast-rising AI “agent” startup with Chinese roots that later relocated to Singapore—another sign that the AI race has shifted from chatbots that talk to systems that can do. Reuters+1

So what is Manus? Unlike a typical assistant that answers questions, Manus is built to execute multi-step work end-to-end—planning a task, using tools, and returning finished outputs. In its own documentation, Manus describes itself as an “autonomous general AI agent” that operates like a virtual colleague with access to a sandboxed “computer,” including internet access, a file system, and the ability to install software—so it can carry a job from prompt to deliverable with less hand-holding. Manus+1

Meta has been trying to push “agentic” AI deeper into both consumer and business experiences, and Manus gives it a ready-made execution layer that can extend beyond chat into real tasks—research, coding, analysis, and workflow automation. Meta said it plans to scale Manus and deliver general-purpose agents across its consumer and business products, including Meta AI, which could eventually show up wherever Meta has distribution: messaging, creators, and small-business tooling. AP News+1

The acquisition also comes with geopolitical and trust baggage that Meta is trying to neutralize up front. Reuters noted Manus was Chinese-founded and went viral after claiming it had a “general AI agent,” before shifting its headquarters to Singapore amid U.S.–China tensions. Reuters Meta and Manus have publicly emphasized that the product’s remaining China ties will be unwound: Business Insider reported Meta said there will be no continuing Chinese ownership interests, and that Manus would discontinue services and operations in China, including winding down the Monica.cn business. Business Insider

Meta says Manus will continue operating and selling subscriptions while its underlying agent technology is integrated into Meta’s ecosystem—effectively turning Manus into both a standalone service and a capability Meta can embed across apps. In practical terms, that likely means more “do it for me” experiences inside Meta AI—agents that can draft, analyze, research, and automate work for individuals and for the millions of small businesses that already run customer conversations through Meta’s platforms.