As the race to dominate AI accelerates, Europe's most prominent AI startup is betting that geography - not just technology - can be a competitive advantage in its home market. Arthur Mensch, the CEO and cofounder of French AI company Mistral, said the company's edge in Europe over Silicon Valley rivals like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic isn't about having dramatically smarter models.
Chinese authorities have signalled they'll likely probe Meta's planned acquisition of made-in-China AI platform Manus. Meta announced the acquisition on December 29, 2025, and said Manus will become part of its consumer and business products. On Thursday, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said Beijing intends to investigate the acquisition to ensure it won't infringe China's export controls or foreign investment laws.