🤖 Meta Buys AI Agent Startup Manus

Today’s Highlights:

• 💰 Nvidia Invests $5 Billion in Intel

• 🤖 Meta Buys AI Agent Startup Manus

• 📢 OpenAI Tests Ads in AI Replies

• 🛡️ OpenAI Offers $500K+ to Prevent AI Catastrophes

• 🇯🇵 Japan Pledges $6B to Build Local AI

• 🎙️ Resemble AI Drops Real-Time Open-Source Voice Clone

• 📺 Samsung AI TVs to Feature Google Photos Memories

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LATEST AI NEWS

NVIDIA

💰 Nvidia Invests $5 Billion in Intel

Nvidia has finalized a $5B investment in Intel, completing a deal that was first announced in September and positioning itself as a major shareholder in the struggling chipmaker.

The Details:

• Nvidia purchased over 214.7M Intel shares at $23.28 per share through a private placement

• The investment follows years of heavy spending and execution challenges that strained Intel’s finances

• US antitrust authorities approved the transaction earlier this month

• The deal is widely seen as a financial and strategic boost for Intel’s turnaround efforts

• Nvidia shares slipped 1.3% in premarket trading, while Intel stock stayed mostly flat

Why it matters:

This is an unusual power move in semiconductors. Nvidia is not just dominating AI chips, it is now gaining influence over a legacy rival central to US chip manufacturing. The deal reflects how strategic capital is becoming as important as silicon in the global chip race.

META & MANUS

🤖 Meta Buys AI Agent Startup Manus for $2 Billion

Meta Platforms is acquiring Manus for $2B, snapping up one of the fastest-rising AI agent companies just months after its breakout debut.

The Details:

• Manus gained attention with AI agents that handle hiring screens, trip planning, and stock analysis

• The startup claimed its agents outperformed OpenAI’s Deep Research in early demos

• In April 2025, Benchmark led a $75M round valuing Manus at $500M

• Manus reportedly reached millions of users and crossed $100M in ARR

• Meta plans to keep Manus independent while integrating its agents into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp

Why it matters:

For Mark Zuckerberg, this is a rare AI acquisition with real revenue behind it. As investors question massive AI infrastructure spending, Meta is buying proof that AI agents can already generate meaningful business value, not just demos.

OPENAI

📢 OpenAI Tests Ads in AI Replies

OpenAI is testing advertisements embedded directly within AI-generated replies, marking a potential shift in how conversational AI products are monetized.

The Details:

• Ads may appear contextually within ChatGPT-style replies rather than as traditional banners

• The test focuses on relevance, matching ads to user intent and conversation topics

• OpenAI has stated that ads will not change or bias the model’s core responses

• Rising compute and infrastructure costs are pushing AI companies to explore new revenue models

• There is no confirmed timeline yet for a wider public rollout

Why it matters:

Running large AI models is expensive. If ads can be integrated without breaking trust or usability, AI assistants could become self-sustaining products. This also signals a future where AI, search, and advertising start to merge into a single experience.

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MORE AI & TECH NEWS

• Samsung and Google are bringing Google Photos’ Memories to Samsung’s AI TVs, turning them into giant family photo albums starting 2026.

• OpenAI is hiring a Head of Preparedness to prevent future AI disasters. The $500K+ role involves testing AI safety—but comes with a high-stress warning.

• Japan will invest over $6B to help domestic firms like SoftBank develop homegrown AI systems and chips. The move aims to reduce reliance on the US and China.

• Resemble AI has launched Chatterbox Turbo, an open-source voice clone that works with just 5 seconds of audio and runs in real time. MIT license allows free commercial use.

• Zara is using AI to dress models virtually by reusing old images—cutting out new photoshoots. Models still get paid the same for the digital re-use.

• Nvidia is committing up to $1 billion into Poolside AI, a dev-agent company raising $2 billion at a ~$12 billion valuation, reinforcing Nvidia’s push into the AI agent and coding tools space.

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