Meta Acquires Manus; Samsung Unveils AI Brain Health Tool at CES 2026
Meta has acquired Singapore-based startup Manus to integrate AI agents into platforms like Facebook and Instagram, aiming to create autonomous companions despite concerns over security and privacy, according to TechCrunch. These AI agents will handle tasks like scheduling and content curation, marking a strategic move to advance personal superintelligence amid potential AI hype correction.
Samsung is set to launch its AI-powered Brain Health feature at CES 2026, designed for early dementia detection through analysis of voice, gait, and sleep data gathered from wearables and smartphones, reports Reuters. This feature, integrated into the Samsung Health app, emphasizes privacy and preventive healthcare, potentially redefining consumer tech's role in proactive health management.
Google's Gemini excels in multimodality and speed but lags behind ChatGPT in personalization, persistent memory, voice interaction, custom GPTs, and productivity integrations, according to user feedback reported by Forbes. Addressing these gaps could enhance Gemini's appeal to professionals by improving workflow efficiency and continuity, as users highlight inefficiencies.
In 2025, AI terminology expanded with terms like RAG, agentic AI, and "slop," reflecting advancements in reasoning, autonomous systems, and hardware such as TPUs, according to a report in Wired. This burgeoning lexicon, amid both hype and quality concerns, underscores AI's increasing maturation and integration into various facets of society, setting the stage for innovation in 2026.
Samsung's leaked Galaxy S26 Ultra aims to improve portrait photography by reducing over-processing for more natural skin tones and textures, drawing inspiration from competitors like Google Pixel, according to GSM Arena. The planned hardware adjustments involve a wider f/1.4 aperture and improved coatings, while software refinements seek authentic results, addressing consumer demand for more lifelike mobile imaging.
ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude offered their individual predictions for the AI landscape in 2026, varying on specific aspects of AI development and deployment, with a focus on integration, widespread availability, and increasing autonomy, according to a collaborative report in VentureBeat.
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