KUALA LUMPUR: UMNO Information chief Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has called for greater scrutiny of the alleged use of artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate political discourse in Malaysia, following a report by AI company Anthropic on an operation involving fake social media accounts and fabricated content.

She said the party took the allegations seriously, particularly claims that the operation involved about 1,000 fake X accounts, a fabricated news platform and content containing false allegations.

“Although there is no evidence so far that the operation succeeded in changing election results or voters’ positions, the disclosure warrants attention,” she said in a statement.

She also urged Malaysians to exercise greater caution when consuming political content on social media, warning that genuine news could be mixed with half-truths, misleading headlines and information taken out of context to shape public perception.

She said the manipulation of comment sections was another growing concern, with fake accounts or AI-powered bots potentially generating large volumes of comments supporting one side or attacking another.

“When the same thing is repeated by dozens or hundreds of accounts, people may get the impression that it represents the majority view,” she said.

Azalina stressed that a high volume of comments did not necessarily mean that a large number of Malaysians shared the same view.

She also acknowledged that UMNO had been the subject of repeated negative allegations online, including claims portraying the party as “evil, corrupt or untrustworthy”.

However, she stressed that UMNO did not regard all criticism against the party as false or the work of bots.

“People have the right to criticise UMNO, the government or any leader. Criticism based on facts must be respected,” she said.

Azalina also said UMNO took note of the explanation by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) regarding the report.

She called for any investigation and enforcement action to be carried out fairly and consistently, regardless of political affiliation.

“If government supporters break the law, take action. If opposition supporters break the law, take action,” she said.

“The law cannot have one measure for friends and another for opponents.”

Azalina urged Malaysians to verify sources and facts, distinguish between news and opinion, and avoid using the number of likes, shares or comments as a measure of truth.

“Technology can produce a thousand accounts and a thousand comments. But technology cannot determine the truth or what the people actually feel on the ground,” she said.

She said Malaysia needed a digital space free from manipulation while remaining open to criticism and differences of opinion.

“Malaysia’s democracy must be protected from all forms of manipulation and foreign interference,” she said.