2025 was the year AI got a vibe check

Plus: VCs predict strong enterprise AI adoption next year — again

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In this Newsletter Today:

  • 2025 was the year AI got a vibe check

  • Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about

  • VCs predict strong enterprise AI adoption next year — again

  • AI Tutorial

  • 5 Best AI Tools

TODAY'S AI" NEWS

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2025 was the year AI got a vibe check

In 2025, the AI industry experienced a lot of hype and investment. By the end of the year, it faced major concerns about safety, sustainability, and real value. What began with big raises and bold promises ended with worries about growth, trust, and AI's future.

Key Points

  • Big funding and rapid growth: The year kicked off with amazing deals. OpenAI raised $40 billion, reaching a $300 billion valuation. Other AI startups also secured large investments before launching their products. Meta invested billions to attract top AI talent. Companies also committed over $1.3 trillion for AI infrastructure.

  • The hype began to fade. Optimism stayed high, but the second half of the year raised concerns. People worried that spending and valuations might not reflect real adoption. This led some to question if the AI boom was sustainable or just a bubble.

  • Focus shifts from models to business. Companies are now more concerned with real products. Instead of chasing the next big AI model, they want to make money. This could be through licensing, tools, or integrating AI into daily workflows.

  • Safety and ethics are under more scrutiny. AI platforms are facing many copyright lawsuits. Concerns are growing about mental health issues related to chatbots and AI companions. These events fueled debates about trust, user safety, and regulation in the space.

  • 2025 wrapped up with tougher questions. The year ended not with excitement but with a “vibe check.” AI companies need to prove they deliver real economic value. They must also manage safety effectively and sustain growth into 2026 and beyond.

Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about

Meta Platforms will buy Manus, a fast-growing AI startup. Manus is known for its autonomous AI agents that handle complex tasks with little human help. Meta will add Manus’s technology to its products. This includes Meta AI, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It will also keep Manus as a standalone service.

Key Points

  • Big Acquisition: Meta is spending about $2 billion to buy Manus. Earlier this year, Manus was valued at around $500 million after a $75 million funding round.

  • What Manus Does: Manus creates general-purpose AI agents. These agents can research, code, plan, analyse data, and automate tasks. They have gained attention for their strong performance and rapid growth.

  • Strong User Base & Revenue: Manus has millions of users and surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue. This makes it one of the few AI startups with strong commercial success.

  • Integration Plan: Meta will incorporate Manus's AI agents into its product ecosystem, especially Meta AI. This will bring advanced automation and intelligence to billions of users and millions of businesses.

  • Standalone Service: Manus will keep running as a subscription service after the acquisition. Its team will join Meta to help create future AI tools.

  • Part of Bigger AI Push: This deal is part of Meta's bigger push into AI. They are investing more in infrastructure, models, and services to compete with rivals like OpenAI and Google.

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VCs predict strong enterprise AI adoption next year — again

Venture capitalists (VCs), who invest in many AI startups, are predicting a rise in enterprise AI adoption in 2026. After years of excitement, they think businesses will go beyond tests and start using AI in real, valuable ways.

Key Points

  • 2026: The Predicted AI Breakthrough for Businesses TechCrunch surveyed over 20 leading VCs. They think 2026 will see enterprise AI move from testing to real ROI (return on investment).

  • Current Gap Between Hype and Results: Many businesses have invested heavily in AI tools, but they still find it hard to see real value. An MIT survey showed that 95% of enterprises weren’t getting meaningful returns from their AI efforts — a problem VCs hope will change next year.

  • Focus on Real Use Cases and Budgets: Investors want companies to boost AI budgets where it adds clear value. This is especially true for automation, workflow integration, and industry-specific uses. At the same time, they expect firms to cut spending on tools that don’t show measurable results.

  • Smarter Enterprise Spending: Some VCs think enterprise spending on AI will not only grow but will also zero in on the best solutions. As businesses trim unnecessary tools, fewer vendors will take bigger market shares.

  • Moving Beyond Pilots: The VC community says the AI wave of 2024–2025 focused on hype and possibilities. In 2026, the focus will change to operational impact, governance, reliability, and measurable value.

AI TUTORIAL

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  • Convert Threads into Blog-Style Posts
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If you’re serious about growing your brand on Twitter, Typefully is a must-have tool.

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BEST AI TOOLS

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