ManusAI Joins Meta

Reaction to the announcement & copywriting

• Many readers mocked the second-line phrase “this announcement is more than just a headline” as hollow, LLM-ish marketing speak.
• Others argued it’s just standard corporate PR language that predates LLMs, and that using AI to write an AI company’s blog post is unsurprising.
• Some think the obvious “this is not just X, it’s Y” structure is deliberate watermarking or engagement bait; others see it simply as LinkedIn-style hype.

Perceived quality of Manus’ product

• Supporters say Manus was the best general “agent” for turning text into concrete work: slides, code, structured research, browser automation, and virtual machines, often earlier and smoother than US competitors.
• Critics found it slow, overpriced, and not meaningfully better than ChatGPT/Claude “agent modes,” calling it mostly a wrapper on public models plus good formatting.
• Several users report genuine productivity gains, especially for research and PPT creation, and are disappointed Meta may change or sideline it.

Why Meta bought it & valuation debate

• One view: Meta was lagging in consumer-facing agents; Manus brings a polished product, millions of paying users, and talent, fitting a strategy where models commoditize and UX/distribution matter most.
• Another: this is classic hype/bubble behavior—an acquihire or “friends giving friends a piece of the pie,” possibly fueled by investor relationships rather than exceptional tech.
• Undisclosed price fuels speculation: guesses range from hundreds of millions to multiple billions, with some comparing it to WhatsApp (user acquisition) and others calling such sums absurd or akin to money laundering.

Meta’s reputation and social harm concerns

• Several commenters distrust Meta, citing social media’s documented harms (addiction, mental health, outrage incentives) and Meta’s history of prioritizing growth.
• This makes them uneasy about Meta positioning itself as steward of the “next tech wave” and about Manus user data and product direction post-acquisition.
• Many expect Meta to either neglect or “ruin” the product, based on past acquisitions (Oculus, Instagram, WhatsApp, metaverse efforts).

China/Singapore origins & marketing

• Discussion notes Manus’ roots in China and relocation to Singapore; some call it marketing-heavy and overhyped, others defend its technical merit and prior successful products.
• Even among Chinese founders in the thread, views are split between seeing Manus as mostly PR and seeing it as legitimately strong execution plus aggressive promotion.