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.
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 knowMeta acquired Manus for $2 billion
Manus running deceptive ads promising quick money with AI website-building gigs
Paid creator accounts on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok promoting product without clear commercial ties
TikTok accounts taken down after press inquiry
Ads obscured connection between creators and company
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…