Meta says it is acquiring China-based artificial intelligence firm Manus as it seeks to expand the capabilities of its technology.
Analysts at Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal have suggested the purchase could cost more than $2bn (£1.48bn).
Meta said the deal will help improve its own AI by giving people access to “agents” – tools that can perform complex tasks with minimal user interaction, such as planning trips or giving presentations.
“The exceptional talent of Manus will join the Meta team to provide general purpose agents for our consumer and business products, including Meta AI,” the blog post said.
Barton Crockett, an analyst at Rosenblatt Securities, told Reuters it was a “natural fit” for Meta, which extended to boss Mark Zuckerberg's “personal AI vision” using agents.
Based in Singapore after relocating from China, Manus sought to differentiate itself from rival AI developers with what it claims is a “truly autonomous” agent.
Unlike many chatbots that need to be repeatedly asked for something before the user can get the answer they want, Manus claims its service can schedule, execute and execute tasks independently according to instructions.
It's part of the company's mission to “expand the human reach” with general purpose agents that can assist, rather than replace, human work.
The company said the Meta acquisition was a “validation” of its efforts.
“Joining Meta will allow us to build a stronger and more sustainable foundation without changing the way Manus operates or how decisions are made,” said Xiao Hong, chief executive and one of the Chinese founders. in a blog post.
“We are excited about what the future holds for Meta and Manus together, and we will continue to improve the product and serve the users who have defined Manus from the beginning.”
Meta said as part of your deal he will continue to operate and sell Manus' artificial intelligence services.
It marks another high-profile move by the Silicon Valley tech giant to bolster its presence in the sector through deals with growing startups.
In June, the company spent $14 billion to buy 49% of Scale AI and had its boss take a leading role in developing Meta's technology.
It comes amid a broader increase in Zuckerberg's spending on the company's artificial intelligence strategy, as well as a reported poaching talent from competitors such as OpenAI.
