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Good morning ☀️, leader of the next generation.
Technology is reshaping how the world works.
The real question is not what it can do — but how we choose to use it.
We focus on using technology to support human evolution.
Progress works when responsibility stays human.
⚡ WHAT'S AT STAKE TODAY ⚡
- 🤖💰 Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about
- 🔗📱 How to use the new ChatGPT app integrations, including DoorDash, Spotify, Uber, and others
- 💼📊 VCs predict strong enterprise AI adoption next year — again
- 🎙️⭐ Plaud Note Pro is an excellent AI-powered recorder that I carry everywhere
- ⚡👷 How the AI boom is creating electrician jobs for young workers
- 📚🚫 World's biggest accounting body bans online exams, says AI cheating has hit tipping point
- 🏢📈 Enterprises actually using AI will be the big trend in tech for 2026
- 👨💻🤖 Human Developers Essential in AI-Driven Software Evolution
- 📅✨ 2025 was the year AI got a vibe check
Meta acquires Singapore AI startup Manus for $2 billion deal
Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about
Mark Zuckerberg has made another major AI play. Meta Platforms has acquired Manus, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence startup that has captured Silicon Valley's attention since its explosive debut this spring.
Manus burst onto the scene with a viral demo video showcasing an AI agent capable of screening job candidates, planning vacations, and analyzing stock portfolios. The company boldly claimed its technology outperformed OpenAI's Deep Research, immediately drawing investor interest.
The startup's rapid rise was nothing short of meteoric. By April, just weeks after launch, prestigious venture capital firm Benchmark led a $75 million funding round valuing Manus at $500 million post-money. General partner Chetan Puttagunta joined the board, while Chinese media reported earlier backing from major investors including Tencent, ZhenFund, and HSG (formerly Sequoia China) through a $10 million initial round.
Despite Bloomberg's skepticism about Manus charging $39 to $199 monthly for AI model access during its testing phase, the company recently announced remarkable traction: millions of users and over $100 million in annual recurring revenue. This impressive financial performance caught Meta's attention, leading to acquisition negotiations.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Meta paid $2 billion for Manus—matching the valuation the startup sought for its next funding round. For Zuckerberg, who has bet Meta's future on AI, Manus represents something crucial: an AI product actually generating significant revenue. This comes as investors grow increasingly concerned about Meta's massive $60 billion infrastructure spending spree.
Meta plans to maintain Manus as an independent operation while integrating its AI agents into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, complementing Meta's existing chatbot, Meta AI.
However, the acquisition faces potential political complications. Manus, despite launching only eight months ago, has Chinese founders who established parent company Butterfly Effect in Beijing in 2022 before relocating to Singapore mid-2024. This Chinese connection has already drawn criticism from Washington.
Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican and senior Intelligence Committee member, previously criticized Benchmark's investment, questioning on X whether it was wise for American investors to "subsidize our biggest adversary in AI, only to have the CCP use that technology to challenge us economically and militarily." Cornyn, a longtime China hawk, reflects growing bipartisan congressional concern about Chinese technology competition.
Anticipating these concerns, Meta has already addressed the Chinese connection issue. The company told Nikkei Asia that post-acquisition, Manus will have no Chinese investor ties and will cease China operations entirely. "There will be no continuing Chinese ownership interests in Manus AI following the transaction, and Manus AI will discontinue its services and operations in China," a Meta spokesperson confirmed.
This acquisition represents Meta's continued aggressive push into AI dominance, combining Zuckerberg's ambitious vision with a proven revenue-generating AI platform. By severing Chinese connections and integrating Manus into its ecosystem, Meta aims to strengthen its AI capabilities while navigating geopolitical sensitivities in the increasingly competitive artificial intelligence landscape.
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ChatGPT now connects with popular apps for enhanced functionality
How to use the new ChatGPT app integrations, including DoorDash, Spotify, Uber, and others
OpenAI now offers app integrations in ChatGPT, allowing users to connect accounts from DoorDash, Spotify, Uber, and other services directly to the AI assistant. Users can create Spotify playlists, plan meals with DoorDash, book hotels through Booking.com, and design graphics with Canva.
To connect apps, simply type the app name in your prompt or visit Settings > Apps and Connectors. Note that linking accounts shares your data with ChatGPT, so review permissions carefully. The feature is currently available only in the U.S. and Canada.
🎙️ The Supercharged Podcast Is Growing
Conversations with the People Building the AI Future
The Supercharged Podcast is becoming a place where real conversations about AI happen — beyond hype, tools, or surface-level takes.
We sit down with industry leaders, founders, builders, and operators who are actively using AI — or building AI-first businesses — to understand how it’s actually changing the way work gets done.
From strategy and systems to experimentation and execution, these are practical, honest conversations with people shaping what comes next.
⚡ Trends for the Future
2025 was the year AI got a vibe check
AI industry faces reality check after massive investments and hype
The AI industry experienced unprecedented investment levels in early 2025, with OpenAI raising $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation and newcomers like Safe Superintelligence securing $2 billion seed rounds. The fervor continued as Meta spent nearly $15 billion to acquire Scale AI's CEO and major players promised $1.3 trillion in future infrastructure spending.
However, the second half of 2025 brought a reality check. While extreme optimism remained, concerns emerged about an AI bubble, user safety, and the sustainability of rapid technological progress. Questions arose about whether companies could maintain their velocity and if business models could justify multi-billion investments.
Major labs continued growing, with Anthropic raising $16.5 billion and Elon Musk's xAI securing $10 billion. Startups also benefited from investor enthusiasm, with Thinking Machine Labs raising $2 billion despite sharing minimal product details, and Lovable achieving a $7 billion valuation just months after launching.
These massive valuations occurred despite modest enterprise adoption and serious infrastructure constraints, creating fears of a bubble. Much of the capital flows in circular patterns, with investment money flowing back into chips, cloud contracts, and energy deals, blurring the line between genuine demand and manufactured hype.
The magic of model releases began fading in 2025. OpenAI's GPT-5 lacked the transformative impact of earlier versions, and improvements across the industry became more incremental. DeepSeek's R1 model proved that credible AI could be developed faster and cheaper, challenging assumptions about massive spending requirements.
AI companies faced unprecedented scrutiny with over 50 copyright lawsuits and reports of "AI psychosis" linked to chatbot interactions and multiple suicides. Even industry leaders warned against emotional over-reliance on AI systems.
As 2026 approaches, the era of "trust us, returns will come" is ending. AI companies must now prove their business models and demonstrate real economic value, marking either vindication or a reckoning that could dwarf the dot-com bust.
⚡ Let’s Make AI Actually Useful:
What Would Move the Needle in *Your* Industry?
AI has potential — but generic advice rarely helps.
What would be genuinely valuable for AI to do in your industry right now?
• Automate a painful workflow?
• Improve decision-making?
• Replace a manual process that wastes time?
• Help your team upskill faster?
Tell us what you’d want AI to handle — or where you feel stuck.
We’re using these insights to curate **industry-specific trainings, live webinars, and practical guidance** you can actually apply.
AI will be the ultimate force multiplier for human achievement, helping us solve our most complex challenges and create a world of shared prosperity and unlimited possibility.
Melanie Perkins is the co-founder and CEO of Canva, the graphic design platform that has democratized design tools for millions of users worldwide. As one of the youngest female CEOs to lead a multi-billion-dollar company, she has championed the mission of empowering everyone to design while advocating for technology that makes creative capabilities accessible to people regardless of their technical background or resources.
🎬 How to Use AI Agents to Build High-Converting Video Ads
Build once. Scale everywhere. In just minutes.
What if: Instead of spending weeks scripting, editing, and testing ads… you could build 10 variations of a high-converting video in 15 minutes — with agents handling the voiceover, visuals, call-to-action, and even the hook testing?
That’s exactly what we’ll show you this week — live.
Why This Changes Everything for Founders 🧠
- 🎥 Fast-Track Ad Creation: From idea to launch-ready video in under an hour — no team needed.
- 🔁 Test Like a Pro: Run A/B tests on 10 hooks, CTAs, or visuals — while you sleep.
- 💰 Better ROAS, Less Guessing: Let agents learn what your audience *actually* responds to.
- 📦 Works for Any Product: Digital or physical — agents adapt to your niche & brand voice.
📅 Join the Live Session w code Supercharged
We’ll walk you step-by-step through building your own ad-generating agent — no code needed.
👉 Click here to save your seat for the webinar
You’ll leave with a working prototype, free templates, and 5x more speed in your next ad campaign.
🎁 Bonus for Attendees:
- ✅ AI Agent Template for Ad Generation
- ✅ "Top 10 Hooks That Convert" Prompt Pack
- ✅ Entry to win a Free AI Strategy Audit
🌡️ Use the Satisfaction Thermometer to show us how much you enjoyed The Supercharged today ;)
The Supercharged is aiming to be the world's #1 AI business magazine and is on a mission to empower 1,000,000 entrepreneurs worldwide by 2025, guiding them through the transition into the AI-driven creative age. We're dedicated to breaking down complex technologies, sharing actionable insights, and fostering a community that thrives on innovation, to become the ultimate resource for businesses navigating the AI revolution.
The Supercharged is the #1 AI Newsletter for Entrepreneurs, with 25,000 + readers working at the world’s leading startups and enterprises. The Supercharged is free for the readers. Main ads are typically sold out 2 weeks in advance. You can book future ad spots here.
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