THE Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has firmly denied involvement in activities described in a recent report by US‑based artificial intelligence firm Anthropic, which alleged misuse of AI in election manipulation.
In a statement, MCMC said it was aware of the report and took the matters raised seriously.
“For clarity, activities of the nature described in the report do not form part of MCMC’s functions or mandate, and MCMC does not engage in such activities or arrangements.”
Anthropic’s report, Detecting and Countering Misuse of AI: September 2026, detailed its disruption of a commercial election‑manipulation platform.
The company revealed the operation used around 1,000 fake X accounts, a fabricated news outlet, and dossiers to influence sentiment.
The platform, marketed as “military grade, AI‑driven, real‑time political operations ecosystem”, was traced to Istanbul‑based BBS Bilisim Teknolojileri, which sold access as “influence‑as‑a‑service”.
While Anthropic did not specify when the Malaysia‑focused operation occurred, the report covered disruptions between December 2025 and August 2026 across multiple global misuse cases.
“According to the threat actor’s own documentation, the infrastructure was marketed as ‘military grade, AI-driven, real-time political operations ecosystem’,” the report noted.
MCMC said it is reviewing the report, seeking clarification from relevant parties, and will determine appropriate action with authorities. It reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Malaysia’s online environment. — Sept 12, 2026
Main photo credit: NST
