TikTok is introducing a new feature that allows them to cut down on the amount of AI-made media appearing in their timelines. This step comes as the service disclosed that it now features in excess of 1 thousand million content made with AI.
Testing and Rollout
The new functionality is in a pilot phase over the coming weeks before a full-scale launch. This advancement comes amid a rise in AI-generated material, driven by new content generation software.
AI Proliferation Online
Recent reports that approximately one in 10 of the most rapidly expanding video streams on a competing service exclusively feature clips produced artificially. A large amount of this material is classified as “AI slop”, a phrase for poor-quality, factory-style content that is typically illogical or bizarre.
Our research shows that many people enjoy content created using AI tools, ranging from AI artwork to science explainers, and we intend to provide users the option to increase or decrease of that, according to their own choices,” commented a platform representative.
AI on the Platform
TikTok shared that there are now 1.3 billion videos on its service labeled as AI-generated. In total, over 100 million pieces of content are added to the app daily, making AI content a relatively small portion of its total content library.
User Control Features
Viewers will be in a position to decrease or raise the level of artificial media they see by opening the topic control feature in the app and selecting “AI-generated content”. Other topics that can already be adjusted under the setting encompass politics, fashion, beauty, and dance.
AI Disclosure Rules
The platform’s guidelines require users to identify “realistic” artificially created content, and it forbids dangerous deepfakes of well-known individuals or crisis events. Any believable AI video that is not labeled can be deleted under its community policies.
Additionally, the platform will henceforth apply an “AI-made” tag to content created with its proprietary AI systems, or identified by an cross-platform project for spotting content made by AI. This measure is aimed to stop users from trying to circumvent the labeling process.
Responsible AI Funding
TikTok is furthermore introducing a two million dollar awareness program for professionals and groups to develop educational content about ethical AI use. This project will benefit non-profit groups specializing in educating programming and robotics.
Moderation Strategy
TikTok has supported its safety measures, amid debate over intentions to lay off a large number of content moderators in the UK. TikTok is expected to reduce a significant number of roles in its content moderation team in London, with worker representatives and online safety experts expressing worry that humans are being replaced by AI moderation.
A senior executive stated that staff-based oversight would still have a role, but AI can safeguard staff by filtering out the most distressing content before it is viewed by humans. The platform stated a 76% decrease in explicit and harmful content handled by human moderators over the past year due to intervention by its AI tools.
“We think that it’s essential to integrate staff and AI to keep the platform safe,” the official commented. “We’ll have people as integral to the approach, but we further consider it’s extremely critical to minimize viewing of harmful content as quickly as possible, which is the area in which a significant AI assistance is proving valuable work at speed.”
