A Chinese origin general purpose AI agent has come under scrutiny after a United States Representative alleged that foreign bots were flooding social media and manipulating online narratives, fuelling a wider debate about authenticity, political influence and the growing role of AI driven automation on digital platforms.
Meta Acquisition Brought Manus Into Spotlight
Manus was acquired by Meta Platforms at the end of December 2025 in a reported $2 billion deal. The company, now based in Singapore, was founded in China before relocating. It launched its first general AI agent last year, describing the product as capable of carrying out complex tasks including market research, coding and data analysis.
Soon after the acquisition, Meta said it would continue to operate and sell the Manus service and integrate it into its products. The company said Manus was already serving millions of users and businesses worldwide, had processed more than 147 trillion tokens, and created more than 80 million virtual computers. Meta also said it planned to expand the service to many more businesses.
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Political Allegations and Automation Concerns
The latest controversy intensified after US Representative Anna Paulina Luna wrote on X that foreign intelligence operations were using bot farms to flood timelines and manipulate the narrative. She also shared a video that she said showed Manus AI running 50 social media accounts around the clock automatically.
While the clip did not confirm exactly which platform was being used, the report noted that the AI agent appeared capable of such activity. Manus is described as having inbuilt features that allow it to view a web browser, move the cursor, click buttons and type into fields. It can remain logged into multiple social media platforms and bypass basic navigation hurdles that would typically stop simpler bots. It can also use local browsers to route activity through a user’s own IP address.
China Review Adds Regulatory Pressure
The scrutiny has not been limited to the United States. In China, regulators reportedly began reviewing the transaction in March to determine whether the acquisition violated investment rules. Two co founders, chief executive Xiao Hong and chief scientist Ji Yichao, were reportedly restricted from leaving the country and summoned to a meeting with the National Development and Reform Commission.
According to sources cited in the report, the two were questioned over possible violations of foreign direct investment rules related to the company’s onshore Chinese entities. The episode has added another layer of concern to a deal that already sits at the intersection of AI expansion, platform influence and cross border regulation.
