Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) startup Manus has officially severed ties with U.S. tech giant Meta amid increasing regulatory pressure from the Chinese government. This decision comes more than three months after China halted Meta's acquisition of Manus, citing national security concerns.
In a public letter sent to users on August 11, Manus announced it would "officially resume operations as an independent company," adding that some user account data would be temporarily adjusted or deleted during this process.
Specifically, user data created on or after December 29, the day Meta's acquisition of Manus was finalized, will be deleted from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Singapore time on August 23 and 24. Affected users have been advised to back up their data.
Manus emphasized that this data adjustment is not related to data leaks or security incidents, stating that users not affected by the changes can continue to use the service as usual.
While Manus indicated that this move aims to meet regulatory requirements in certain countries and regions, it did not specify which requirements.
Manus, launched in March 2022 by Chinese company Butterfly Effect, is a general-purpose AI agent that gained attention for its demo videos showcasing its ability to perform tasks autonomously. It has been referred to as the "second DeepMind" in the market.
However, following investments from U.S. capital, Manus has taken steps to distance itself from China, including laying off some employees in China and relocating its headquarters to Singapore. Concerns over the potential outflow of Chinese talent and technology grew when Meta announced its $2 billion acquisition of Manus at the end of last year.
Chinese authorities determined that Manus, which had grown based on domestic talent and infrastructure, was circumventing regulations by relocating its headquarters to Singapore after attracting U.S. investment, a practice referred to as "Singapore Washing." Consequently, in April of last year, they ordered the withdrawal of the acquisition based on legal grounds.
In its announcement, Manus did not provide specific details about its future operational plans. However, last month, the Financial Times reported that Tencent, China's largest IT company, was in discussions to become Manus's new major shareholder. Existing Chinese investors in Manus, including ZhenFund and HSG, are also said to be involved in discussions to reverse the acquisition deal with Meta.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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