A Chinese-origin general-purpose AI agent came under heavy scrutiny this week as a US Representative claimed that foreign bots were flooding social media and “manipulating the narrative”. The post has sparked heated debate about online authenticity in the AI era — with MAGA supporters levelling accusations against Democrats and levelling flagging concerns about ‘Chinese interference’. Manus AI is a Singapore-based company that was acquired by Meta last year.
“Foreign intel ops are running bot farms to flood timelines and manipulate the narrative. It’s modern warfare. Wise up, don’t fall for the lies,” wrote US Representative Anna Paulina Luna on X.
The Republican leader also shared a video to underscore her point — purportedly of Manus AI “running 50 social media accounts 24/7 automatically”. While the clip does not confirm exactly which platform is being used, the AI agent is more than capable of such a feat. It is pertinent to note that the company was acquired by US-based Meta in late 2025 in a massive $2 billion deal.
Manus has inbuilt features that allow it to ‘see’ a web browser, move the cursor, click buttons, and type into fields. It can stay logged into multiple social media platforms and bypass basic navigation hurdles that usually stop simple bots. It can also use local browsers to rout activity through your own IP address and remove suspision.
Meta acquisition bid
Meta Platforms finished the year on a high note with the acquisition of Singapore-based Manus at the end of December 2025. The AI company was founded in China before relocating to the city-state. Manus launched its first general AI agent last year — which can execute complex tasks such as market research, coding, and data analysis.
“We will continue to operate and sell the Manus service, as well as integrate it into our products. Manus is already serving the daily needs of millions of users and businesses worldwide. It launched its first General AI Agent earlier this year and has already served more than 147T tokens and created more than 80M virtual computers. We plan to scale this service to many more businesses,” Meta wrote in a statement soon after the acquisition.
Govt bars Manus co-founders from leaving China
Matters took a concerning turn soon after the deal was announced — with the Chinese government restricting two of the co-founders from leaving the country. Regulators reportedly began a review of the transaction in March this year to ascertain whether the acquisition violated Beijing’s investment rules.
Multiple sources told Financial Time that CEO Xiao Hong and chief scientist Ji Yichao were summoned to a meeting with the National Development and Reform Commission. They were reportedly questioned on potential violations of foreign direct investment rules related to its onshore Chinese entities.