The platform is rolling out a new feature that allows them to lessen the volume of AI-made media appearing in their feeds. This move comes as the platform disclosed that it presently contains over 1 bn AI-generated clips.
Trial and Implementation
The new functionality is in a pilot phase over the next few weeks before a global rollout. This development coincides with a surge in content created by AI, driven by emerging video-generation tools.
The Broader AI Trend
It has been noted that approximately 10% of the most rapidly expanding video streams on a competing service exclusively feature content made by AI. A large amount of this material is deemed mass-produced AI material, a term for substandard, factory-style content that is typically nonsensical or surreal.
Our research shows that many people like content created using AI tools, including AI artwork to science explainers, and we intend to offer the community the option to increase or decrease of that, based on their own likes,” said a company executive.
Scale of AI Content
TikTok shared that there are presently over a billion videos on its app labeled as made with AI. Overall, over 100 million pieces of content are added to the app daily, making clips made by AI a relatively small part of its complete catalog.
User Control Features
Members will be in a position to limit or boost the level of AI-generated videos they see by opening the content preference feature in the application and choosing “AI-generated content”. Additional categories that can already be modified under the filter include current affairs, fashion, aesthetics, and dance.
Platform Guidelines
TikTok’s rules mandate creators to identify “realistic” artificially created content, and it bans malicious AI impersonations of well-known individuals or crisis events. Any realistic artificial content that is without a tag can be removed under its user guidelines.
Additionally, the service will henceforth apply an “AI-made” watermark to content created with its own AI tools, or flagged by an collaborative effort for recognizing artificial media. This action is intended to help prevent users from trying to bypass the tagging system.
Educational Initiatives
TikTok is additionally establishing a $2 million AI literacy fund for specialists and groups to develop learning resources about responsible artificial intelligence. This program will benefit non-profit groups dedicated to educating coding and technology.
Content Safety Approach
TikTok has justified its moderation strategy, amid debate over plans to lay off a large number of review team members in the United Kingdom. TikTok is expected to eliminate hundreds of positions in its user protection division in its British office, with worker representatives and digital protection specialists voicing alarm that people are being substituted by automated systems.
A trust and safety lead stated that staff-based oversight would still have a role, but artificial intelligence can safeguard staff by eliminating the most distressing content ahead of it is viewed by staff. The company stated a notable drop in shocking and graphic content reviewed by human moderators over the past year due to reliance on its automated systems.
It is vital to combine people and machines to maintain a secure environment,” the executive stated. “We’ll have humans as involved in the system, but we also think it’s extremely critical to minimize viewing of harmful content as rapidly, which is where a significant AI assistance is making a difference work at speed.”
