Yazılar

China’s Manus AI Forms Strategic Partnership with Alibaba’s Qwen Team

/in /tarafından

On Tuesday, Manus AI announced a strategic partnership with the team behind Alibaba’s Qwen AI models, a move aimed at strengthening the artificial intelligence start-up’s goal of deploying the world’s first general AI agent. Unlike traditional chatbots, which respond to user inputs, an AI agent can operate autonomously, executing tasks with minimal human intervention.

Manus AI, which officially launched last week, claimed that its performance surpasses that of OpenAI’s DeepResearch, a popular AI agent. The launch garnered significant attention on Chinese social media, with many comparing Manus AI to DeepSeek, a product by the Hangzhou-based creators of DeepSeek, which surprised Silicon Valley with a cost-effective AI chatbot that rivaled OpenAI’s best.

The partnership with Qwen could create further disruption in the AI industry, which is still reeling from DeepSeek’s emergence. Manus AI, which is part of Beijing Butterfly Effect Technology Ltd Co with offices in Beijing and Wuhan, has been promoting its product by completing various tasks for users for free on the social media platform X. However, the AI agent remains available by invitation only, and the company has admitted that its website is facing technical difficulties due to increased traffic.

The collaboration with Alibaba’s Qwen team is expected to help Manus AI handle the traffic surge and expand its user base. Meanwhile, Alibaba aims to enhance its competitiveness against rivals such as DeepSeek. The two companies plan to integrate Manus AI’s functions with Qwen’s open-source models and AI platforms in China, as announced on Weibo.

A spokesperson for Alibaba confirmed the partnership and expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with more global AI innovators. The Qwen team had previously responded to DeepSeek’s global success by releasing a model they claimed surpassed DeepSeek-V3, further intensifying the competition in the AI space.

GoTo Achieves First Full-Year Profit, Targets Strong Growth in 2025

/in /tarafından

Indonesia’s largest tech conglomerate, PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia (GoTo), has reported its first-ever full-year underlying profit and forecasted significant growth for 2025. The company, which operates in ride-hailing, food delivery, logistics, and financial services, expects a sharp increase in its core earnings (adjusted EBITDA) next year.

Financial Milestones

  • 2024 underlying profit: 327 billion rupiah (~$20 million), reversing a 3.67 trillion rupiah loss from the previous year.
  • 2025 adjusted EBITDA forecast: 1.4 trillion to 1.6 trillion rupiah (~$85-97 million), signaling a sharp profitability surge.
  • Financial technology segment: Earnings soared 70% in 2024, driven by GoPay’s expanding user base and growing loan book.

CEO’s Outlook

GoTo Group CEO Patrick Walujo attributed the strong performance to rising user numbers and growing demand across its digital services. “We saw a significant increase in our user numbers throughout the year and expect this to continue into 2025,” he stated.

Merger Speculation

Amid industry consolidation rumors, GoTo was linked to a potential merger with Southeast Asian rival Grab. While the company denied any active talks, Walujo signaled openness to deals that enhance shareholder returns in the long term.

Backed by SoftBank Group and Singapore’s GIC, GoTo continues to solidify its position as a dominant player in Southeast Asia’s digital economy, with a strong focus on profitability and expansion in 2025.

Paris AI Summit: France and EU Commit to Easing AI Regulations

/in /tarafından

At the Paris AI Summit on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Europe will scale back regulations to foster the growth of artificial intelligence, with a focus on making the EU more attractive for tech investments. Macron urged the EU to adopt a simplified, business-friendly approach to AI regulation, citing the successful reconstruction of Notre-Dame as an example of how flexible rules can speed up processes.

Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s digital chief, echoed this sentiment, promising to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and implement regulations that support innovation. Macron emphasized the need for Europe to align with global standards, especially as the U.S. under President Donald Trump has rolled back AI regulations to enhance its tech competitiveness.

At the summit, major tech leaders, including Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, voiced support for a more streamlined regulatory approach. Pichai highlighted the importance of fostering ecosystems of AI innovation, particularly in places like France.

The European Commission has already passed the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI regulation, but Virkkunen acknowledged the need to review and simplify existing rules to reduce overlapping regulations. In terms of investment, Macron announced €109 billion ($113 billion) in private sector funding for AI in France, with projects including new data centers and AI hubs like the startup Mistral.

A key outcome of the summit was the launch of Current AI, a collaborative initiative backed by France, Germany, Google, and Salesforce, aimed at making high-quality AI data available and promoting open-source tools. The initiative starts with $400 million in funding, with a goal of reaching $2.5 billion over five years.

However, not all attendees agreed with easing AI regulations. Concerns were raised about weakening existing protections, especially from U.S. influences, and about the potential negative impacts on workers displaced by AI. Labour leaders warned about the risks of job losses and the need for adequate protections.