TikTok is introducing a new feature that allows them to reduce the volume of AI-created videos appearing in their timelines. This step comes as the service announced that it now features more than 1 thousand million AI videos.
Testing and Rollout
The update is undergoing trials over the next few weeks before a widespread rollout. This shift comes amid a rise in AI content, spurred by emerging AI video creators.
The Broader AI Trend
Studies have shown that nearly 10% of the most rapidly expanding content creators on another major platform exclusively feature clips produced artificially. A considerable share of this content is classified as low-quality AI content, a label for inferior, factory-style content that is typically absurd or dreamlike.
“We know from our community that a lot of users like content created using AI tools, including computer-generated images to educational videos, and we want to give people the power to see more or less of that, based on their own choices,” said a spokesperson.
AI on the Platform
TikTok announced that there are now over a billion videos on its network identified as made with AI. Collectively, over 100 m media items are submitted to the platform every day, making AI-generated material a minor part of its total content library.
How to Adjust Settings
Viewers will be able to decrease or raise the volume of AI-generated videos they see by opening the “manage topic” option in the platform and selecting “AI-generated content”. Further subjects that currently be controlled under the setting include news, style, aesthetics, and choreography.
Platform Guidelines
The platform’s rules mandate creators to tag convincing AI-made content, and it prohibits harmful fake videos of celebrities or crisis events. Any authentic-looking AI video that is not labeled can be deleted under its terms of service.
Furthermore, the app will henceforth attach an “AI-made” tag to content made using its proprietary AI systems, or identified by an cross-platform project for identifying artificial media. This measure is aimed to help prevent users from trying to evade the labeling process.
AI Literacy Programs
The company is also launching a two million dollar educational fund for experts and groups to produce informative material about ethical AI use. This initiative will support charitable organizations specializing in educating programming and robotics.
Content Safety Approach
TikTok has justified its moderation strategy, amid controversy over plans to make redundant hundreds of content moderators in the UK. TikTok is set to cut hundreds of positions in its content moderation division in the UK capital, with worker representatives and online safety experts voicing alarm that staff are being displaced by AI moderation.
A senior executive stated that human moderation would continue to be important, but AI can shield workers by removing the most graphic content before it gets reviewed by staff. TikTok reported a 76% decrease in disturbing and violent content seen by content reviewers over the previous year due to reliance on its AI tools.
We believe it is crucial to combine people and machines to keep the platform safe,” she said. “We’ll have people as part of that process, but we additionally believe it’s extremely critical to limit contact with unsafe media as swiftly, which is where a lot of the machine support is making a difference process content quickly.”
