MCMC investigates AI-driven election manipulation report

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is investigating a report by US-based AI firm Anthropic regarding an alleged commercial election-manipulation operation targeting Malaysian voters. Anthropic reported the disruption of a platform that reportedly used its Claude AI models to power approximately 1,000 fake X accounts, a fabricated news outlet named Malaysia Pulse, and artificial intelligence-generated intelligence dossiers.

The operation allegedly utilized census and electoral data to profile voters across all 222 parliamentary constituencies, specifically targeting sensitive social and political fault lines involving religion, race, and royalty. Anthropic linked the operation to BBS Bilisim Teknolojileri, a technology company based in Istanbul, which reportedly marketed the platform as an ‘influence-as-a-service’ capability. While the company allegedly sought a contract with Malaysia’s national communications regulator, Anthropic found no evidence that such an attempt was successful.

MCMC has issued a statement denying any involvement in the described activities, clarifying that such operations do not fall within its mandate or functions. The regulator stated it is seeking further information and clarification from relevant parties to establish the facts and will determine appropriate actions based on the evidence obtained.