TikTok is introducing a updated setting that allows them to reduce the volume of AI-made content appearing in their feeds. This step comes as the service announced that it currently hosts more than 1 billion AI videos.
Trial and Implementation
The new functionality is being tested over the coming weeks before a global rollout. This development comes amid a increase in AI content, driven by emerging content generation software.
AI Content on Other Platforms
Studies have shown that approximately a tenth of the fastest-growing content creators on another major platform exclusively feature AI-generated videos. A large amount of this material is considered low-quality AI content, a term for substandard, factory-style content that is typically absurd or dreamlike.
“We know from our community that numerous viewers enjoy content made with AI tools, including digital art to informative clips, and we intend to provide users the ability to adjust the amount of that, depending on their own likes,” said a company executive.
Volume and Proportions
TikTok announced that there are presently 1.3 billion videos on its service labeled as AI-generated. In total, over 100 million videos are uploaded to the service daily, making clips made by AI a relatively small part of its complete catalog.
Customizing Your Feed
Users will be able to reduce or increase the volume of artificial media they view by opening the topic control option in the platform and choosing “AI-generated content”. Other topics that are already be modified under the filter include current affairs, fashion, aesthetics, and movement.
Content Labeling and Policies
Its rules oblige content makers to identify “realistic” AI-generated content, and it bans harmful deepfakes of public figures or critical incidents. Any believable AI video that is not labeled can be removed under its user guidelines.
Furthermore, the platform will henceforth apply an “AI-made” tag to content made using its proprietary AI systems, or detected by an collaborative effort for recognizing content made by AI. This step is aimed to stop users from trying to bypass the tagging system.
AI Literacy Programs
TikTok is furthermore establishing a $2m educational fund for experts and institutions to create informative material about using AI responsibly. This initiative will support educational bodies specializing in training computer science.
Platform Protection
The platform has supported its moderation strategy, following discussion over proposals to lay off a large number of content moderators in Britain. It is planning to eliminate a significant number of roles in its trust and safety department in the UK capital, with trade unions and digital protection specialists raising concerns that people are being substituted by AI moderation.
A senior executive clarified that people-led review would continue to be important, but AI can shield workers by filtering out the most harmful content before it is viewed by people. TikTok announced a significant reduction in disturbing and violent content handled by human moderators over the last 12 months due to the use of its AI tools.
We believe it is crucial to integrate staff and AI to keep the platform safe,” the executive stated. “We’ll have staff as part of that process, but we further consider it’s very important to minimize viewing of harmful content as quickly as possible, which is the area in which a lot of the machine support is making a difference work at speed.”
