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 revealed that it now features more than 1 bn AI videos.
Testing and Rollout
This change is in a pilot phase over the next few weeks before a full-scale launch. This advancement coincides with a rise in content created by AI, fueled by new AI video creators.
The Broader AI Trend
Studies have shown that approximately 10% of the quickest rising content creators on another major platform primarily display AI-generated videos. A significant portion of this content is deemed low-quality AI content, a phrase for poor-quality, bulk-generated content that is frequently absurd or surreal.
Based on user feedback that many people like content produced via AI tools, from computer-generated images to educational videos, and we intend to offer the community the option to see more or less of that, depending on their own preferences,” stated a company executive.
Scale of AI Content
The service shared that there are presently 1.3bn videos on its service identified as artificially created. In total, in excess of 100 million media items are uploaded to the service every day, making clips made by AI a relatively small part of its overall inventory.
How to Adjust Settings
Users will be in a position to reduce or increase the level of AI content they watch by opening the topic control option in the platform and picking the AI content topic. Other topics that can already be adjusted under the setting cover news, style, beauty, and movement.
AI Disclosure Rules
Its policies mandate users to label convincing AI-generated content, and it bans harmful deepfakes of celebrities or critical incidents. Any realistic AI-generated clip that is without a tag can be removed under its user guidelines.
In addition, the platform will henceforth add an AI-generated watermark to content made using its built-in AI features, or identified by an industry-wide initiative for recognizing AI-generated material. This step is intended to help prevent users from trying to bypass the labeling process.
AI Literacy Programs
TikTok is additionally establishing a two million dollar awareness program for professionals and groups to produce informative material about ethical AI use. This initiative will assist charitable organizations focused on educating coding and technology.
Platform Protection
The video-sharing app has supported its content review process, amid debate over plans to make redundant numerous review team members in the UK. It is set to reduce hundreds of positions in its trust and safety team in its British office, with trade unions and online safety experts raising concerns that people are being substituted by machine-led review.
A trust and safety lead clarified that staff-based oversight would remain essential, but automated tools can shield workers by removing the most distressing content prior to it gets reviewed by humans. The platform reported a notable drop in disturbing and violent content reviewed by safety staff over the last 12 months due to intervention by its AI tools.
It is vital to balance staff and AI to maintain a secure environment,” the executive stated. “We’ll have humans as part of that process, but we further consider it’s extremely critical to minimize viewing of unsafe media as quickly as possible, which is where a lot of the machine support is proving valuable work at speed.”
