TikTok is introducing a fresh option that enables them to cut down on the volume of artificial intelligence-produced media appearing in their streams. This move comes as the company disclosed that it presently contains more than 1 billion content made with AI.
Trial and Implementation
The new functionality is undergoing trials over the following weeks before a widespread rollout. This shift coincides with a surge in AI content, fueled by emerging video-generation tools.
AI Proliferation Online
It has been noted that approximately a tenth of the most rapidly expanding content creators on a popular video site primarily display AI-generated videos. A large amount of this output is considered low-quality AI content, a phrase for substandard, factory-style content that is frequently absurd or surreal.
“We know from our community that a lot of users like content made with AI tools, from AI artwork to science explainers, and we want to offer the community the option to increase or decrease of that, based on their own choices,” commented a company executive.
Scale of AI Content
TikTok shared that there are now 1.3bn videos on its network tagged as AI-generated. Collectively, more than 100 million videos are submitted to the platform daily, making clips made by AI a limited part of its complete catalog.
User Control Features
Viewers will be capable of reduce or increase the volume of artificial media they view by using the topic control feature in the application and picking “AI-generated content”. Further subjects that currently be modified under the setting include current affairs, fashion, aesthetics, and movement.
Content Labeling and Policies
The platform’s guidelines mandate users to identify “realistic” AI-made content, and it bans harmful deepfakes of celebrities or critical incidents. Any realistic AI-generated clip that is unmarked can be removed under its user guidelines.
In addition, the app will now attach an “AI-made” label to content created with its built-in AI features, or identified by an cross-platform project for identifying artificial media. This action is designed to help prevent users from attempting to circumvent the tagging system.
Educational Initiatives
TikTok is also introducing a $2 million awareness program for professionals and institutions to produce educational content about ethical AI use. This initiative will assist non-profit groups focused on educating programming and robotics.
Moderation Strategy
The video-sharing app has justified its content review process, amid debate over plans to cut jobs for hundreds of review team members in the UK. TikTok is expected to cut a significant number of roles in its content moderation department in its British office, with worker representatives and digital protection specialists voicing alarm that staff are being displaced by machine-led review.
A senior executive clarified that human moderation would still have a role, but automated tools can safeguard staff by eliminating the most harmful content ahead of it has to be seen by people. TikTok reported a notable drop in explicit and harmful content handled by human moderators over the past year due to intervention by its AI tools.
We believe it is crucial to balance people and machines to ensure user safety,” the executive stated. “We’ll have staff as involved in the system, but we additionally believe it’s very important to minimize viewing of unsafe media as swiftly, which is the area in which a significant AI assistance is really helping us process content quickly.”
