TikTok is introducing a new feature that enables them to lessen the volume of AI-created videos appearing in their streams. This move comes as the platform disclosed that it currently hosts more than 1 thousand million AI-generated clips.
Testing and Rollout
This change is being tested over the next few weeks before a global release. This shift coincides with a surge in AI content, fueled by emerging video-generation tools.
The Broader AI Trend
Recent reports that almost a tenth of the quickest rising content creators on a competing service only show content made by AI. A large amount of this output is deemed mass-produced AI material, a term for substandard, factory-style content that is typically illogical or bizarre.
Based on user feedback that a lot of users appreciate content made with AI tools, from computer-generated images to science explainers, and we aim to offer the community the power to see more or less of that, according to their own likes,” stated a spokesperson.
Scale of AI Content
TikTok shared that there are now 1.3bn videos on its app labeled as artificially created. Collectively, over 100 mn pieces of content are uploaded to the platform daily, making AI content a minor part of its complete catalog.
How to Adjust Settings
Users will be able to reduce or increase the amount of AI content they view by using the “manage topic” option in the application and selecting AI-made media. Further subjects that can already be controlled under the tool include politics, style, cosmetics, and movement.
Platform Guidelines
The platform’s guidelines oblige content makers to tag lifelike artificially created content, and it forbids harmful deepfakes of well-known individuals or critical incidents. Any realistic AI video that is without a tag can be removed under its terms of service.
Additionally, the platform will from now on add an AI-generated label to content created with its proprietary AI systems, or flagged by an collaborative effort for identifying content made by AI. This step is intended to deter users from seeking to evade the tagging system.
Educational Initiatives
The platform is furthermore establishing a $2m educational fund for experts and institutions to produce educational content about responsible artificial intelligence. This project will support charitable organizations focused on training computer science.
Moderation Strategy
The video-sharing app has justified its safety measures, amid debate over proposals to cut jobs for a large number of review team members in the UK. It is expected to cut a significant number of roles in its trust and safety team in the UK capital, with trade unions and digital protection specialists voicing alarm that staff are being displaced by automated systems.
A company official clarified that staff-based oversight would still have a role, but artificial intelligence can safeguard staff by filtering out the most distressing content prior to it has to be seen by humans. The platform stated a significant reduction in shocking and graphic content reviewed by safety staff over the last 12 months due to intervention by its AI tools.
“We think that it’s essential to balance humans and technology to ensure user safety,” the official commented. “We’ll have humans as integral to the approach, but we further consider it’s extremely critical to limit contact with dangerous material as quickly as possible, which is the area in which a lot of the machine support is proving valuable process content quickly.”
