The platform is rolling out a fresh option that allows them to reduce the volume of artificial intelligence-produced videos appearing in their feeds. This initiative comes as the platform disclosed that it currently hosts in excess of 1 bn content made with AI.
Testing and Rollout
The update is in a pilot phase over the next few weeks before a full-scale rollout. This development aligns with a rise in AI content, driven by new video-generation tools.
The Broader AI Trend
Studies have shown that nearly a tenth of the quickest rising video streams on a competing service only show AI-generated videos. A significant portion of this output is deemed mass-produced AI material, a label for substandard, mass-produced content that is frequently nonsensical or dreamlike.
Our research shows that a lot of users enjoy content produced via AI tools, ranging from AI artwork to informative clips, and we intend to provide users the option to see more or less of that, according to their own likes,” said a company executive.
Volume and Proportions
TikTok announced that there are currently 1.3 billion videos on its network tagged as made with AI. Overall, over 100 mn media items are added to the service every day, making clips made by AI a relatively small portion of its complete catalog.
How to Adjust Settings
Members will be able to limit or boost the amount of artificial media they watch by opening the “manage topic” setting in the app and selecting the AI content topic. Other topics that can already be modified under the tool encompass politics, style, cosmetics, and dance.
Platform Guidelines
TikTok’s policies mandate users to label convincing AI-generated content, and it forbids harmful fake videos of public figures or emergencies. Any believable AI video that is not labeled can be removed under its terms of service.
Additionally, the platform will henceforth add an artificially created watermark to content created with its own AI tools, or identified by an cross-platform project for identifying AI-generated material. This step is aimed to help prevent users from seeking to circumvent the labeling process.
Responsible AI Funding
TikTok is additionally launching a $2 million AI literacy fund for experts and organizations to create learning resources about using AI responsibly. This program will support educational bodies focused on teaching coding and technology.
Content Safety Approach
TikTok has supported its content review process, following controversy over proposals to make redundant a large number of content moderators in the United Kingdom. It is set to cut 439 jobs in its content moderation department in the UK capital, with worker representatives and online safety experts voicing alarm that staff are being displaced by automated systems.
A trust and safety lead explained that staff-based oversight would remain essential, but AI can protect employees by removing the most distressing content ahead of it is viewed by staff. TikTok reported a 76% decrease in explicit and harmful content reviewed by content reviewers over the previous year due to the use of its machine learning processes.
“We think that it’s essential to combine people and machines to keep the platform safe,” the executive stated. “We’ll have staff as involved in the system, but we further consider it’s extremely critical to reduce exposure to dangerous material as swiftly, which is why a significant AI assistance is proving valuable work at speed.”
