The platform is rolling out a updated setting that allows them to reduce the volume of AI-created media appearing in their timelines. This step comes as the service announced that it now features over 1 billion content made with AI.
Pilot Phase and Launch
The new functionality is being tested over the coming weeks before a widespread launch. This shift comes amid a rise in AI content, spurred by new AI video creators.
AI Content on Other Platforms
Recent reports that nearly a tenth of the quickest rising content creators on a competing service exclusively feature AI-generated videos. A large amount of this content is deemed mass-produced AI material, a phrase for inferior, mass-produced content that is often absurd or surreal.
Our research shows that a lot of users enjoy content created using AI tools, from computer-generated images to informative clips, and we want to give people the ability to adjust the amount of that, depending on their own likes,” stated a platform representative.
Volume and Proportions
The service announced that there are now 1.3bn videos on its service labeled as artificially created. In total, over 100 m pieces of content are submitted to the platform daily, making clips made by AI a relatively small percentage of its overall inventory.
How to Adjust Settings
Users will be able to reduce or increase the amount of AI-generated videos they view by using the “manage topic” feature in the app and selecting the AI content topic. Other topics that currently be adjusted under the tool include politics, fashion, cosmetics, and movement.
Platform Guidelines
TikTok’s policies require users to identify lifelike AI-generated content, and it prohibits harmful deepfakes of celebrities or crisis events. Any authentic-looking artificial content that is not labeled can be deleted under its community policies.
Additionally, the platform will henceforth apply an “AI-made” tag to content made using its built-in AI features, or flagged by an collaborative effort for identifying AI-generated material. This measure is aimed to stop users from trying to circumvent the tagging system.
Educational Initiatives
TikTok is furthermore launching a $2m educational fund for specialists and groups to create learning resources about using AI responsibly. This project will benefit educational bodies dedicated to teaching computer science.
Moderation Strategy
The platform has supported its moderation strategy, following discussion over intentions to cut jobs for hundreds of content moderators in the UK. It is set to eliminate a significant number of roles in its content moderation department in London, with labor groups and internet security professionals voicing alarm that staff are being displaced by machine-led review.
A company official explained that people-led review would remain essential, but artificial intelligence can protect employees by filtering out the most harmful content prior to it gets reviewed by people. TikTok reported a significant reduction in explicit and harmful content seen by content reviewers over the last 12 months due to the use of its automated systems.
It is vital to balance staff and AI to maintain a secure environment,” she said. “We’ll have staff as part of that process, but we also think it’s extremely critical to limit contact with unsafe media as swiftly, which is the area in which a significant AI assistance is making a difference process content quickly.”
