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WorkThe story, in brief

Meta is running get-rich-quick ads for its AI tools

$2B acquisition. Meta's AI subsidiary is now running deceptive get-rich-quick schemes on social platforms.

Reporting by The Verge AI 1 min brief
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The KeyNews take

Why it matters

Meta's Manus acquisition—pitched as an AI advancement—is being weaponized to run predatory marketing campaigns with undisclosed creator partnerships. This raises governance and reputational risks for Meta's AI strategy and signals how acquisition capital can be redirected toward ethically questionable deployment.

The key facts

6 to know

  1. Meta acquired Manus for $2 billion

  2. Manus running deceptive ads promising quick money with AI website-building gigs

  3. Paid creator accounts on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok promoting product without clear commercial ties

  4. TikTok accounts taken down after press inquiry

  5. Ads obscured connection between creators and company

  6. Core pitch: Find local businesses without websites, generate one via AI, sell to business owner

Go to the source

The Verge AItheverge.com

Publisher excerpt: Manus, an AI company Meta acquired for $2 billion last year is running ads promising quick, easy money with AI: Find local businesses without websites or with bad websites, have AI build them one, then call them up and sell it to them. As part of the campaign, Manus was paying content creators to…
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