TikTok is introducing a new feature that enables them to cut down on the quantity of artificial intelligence-produced content appearing in their timelines. This initiative comes as the service disclosed that it currently hosts over 1 billion AI-generated clips.
Trial and Implementation
The new functionality is being tested over the next few weeks before a full-scale launch. This development coincides with a rise in AI content, spurred by recent video-generation tools.
AI Content on Other Platforms
Recent reports that approximately a tenth of the fastest-growing content creators on another major platform only show AI-generated videos. A large amount of this output is considered “AI slop”, a label for substandard, mass-produced content that is typically illogical or bizarre.
Our research shows that many people enjoy content produced via AI tools, including digital art to educational videos, and we aim to offer the community the option to see more or less of that, according to their own likes,” commented a company executive.
Scale of AI Content
TikTok announced that there are presently 1.3bn videos on its app identified as artificially created. In total, more than 100 million videos are added to the app each day, making AI content a minor portion of its complete catalog.
User Control Features
Viewers will be able to reduce or increase the level of AI-generated videos they watch by using the “manage topic” setting in the platform and choosing the AI content topic. Additional categories that currently be modified under the tool cover current affairs, clothing, beauty, and choreography.
AI Disclosure Rules
Its policies oblige content makers to identify lifelike artificially created content, and it prohibits dangerous fake videos of well-known individuals or critical incidents. Any believable AI-generated clip that is unmarked can be taken down under its community policies.
In addition, the app will from now on add an AI-generated watermark to content created with its own AI tools, or detected by an cross-platform project for identifying content made by AI. This measure is intended to stop users from trying to bypass the tagging system.
AI Literacy Programs
TikTok is additionally launching a $2m AI literacy fund for experts and organizations to produce learning resources about using AI responsibly. This initiative will support non-profit groups specializing in teaching computer science.
Moderation Strategy
TikTok has defended its moderation strategy, during discussion over proposals to make redundant hundreds of content moderators in Britain. TikTok is set to reduce 439 jobs in its user protection division in the UK capital, with worker representatives and digital protection specialists expressing worry that staff are being displaced by automated systems.
A trust and safety lead clarified that human moderation would remain essential, but artificial intelligence can safeguard staff by removing the most distressing content before it has to be seen by staff. TikTok stated a 76% decrease in explicit and harmful content seen by safety staff over the past year due to intervention by its machine learning processes.
We believe it is crucial to integrate humans and technology to ensure user safety,” she said. “We’ll have humans as part of that process, but we additionally believe it’s very important to reduce exposure to unsafe media as rapidly, which is the area in which a lot of the machine support is really helping us operate efficiently.”
