The platform is rolling out a new feature that allows them to reduce the amount of artificial intelligence-produced content appearing in their feeds. This step comes as the company revealed that it now features more than 1 bn content made with AI.
Pilot Phase and Launch
This change is undergoing trials over the coming weeks before a global release. This development comes amid a surge in AI content, spurred by recent content generation software.
AI Proliferation Online
Recent reports that nearly one in 10 of the quickest rising video streams on a popular video site exclusively feature content made by AI. A considerable share of this material is deemed “AI slop”, a phrase for substandard, bulk-generated content that is often absurd or surreal.
Based on user feedback that numerous viewers like content produced via AI tools, from digital art to educational videos, and we want to offer the community the option to increase or decrease of that, according to their own preferences,” said a platform representative.
AI on the Platform
TikTok announced that there are currently 1.3bn videos on its network identified as artificially created. Overall, in excess of 100 million videos are uploaded to the app each day, making AI content a relatively small portion of its total content library.
How to Adjust Settings
Members will be able to limit or boost the volume of AI content they watch by accessing the content preference option in the platform and picking the AI content topic. Additional categories that currently be adjusted under the setting cover politics, fashion, aesthetics, and movement.
Content Labeling and Policies
TikTok’s policies oblige users to label “realistic” AI-made content, and it prohibits malicious AI impersonations of celebrities or emergencies. Any authentic-looking AI video that is not labeled can be deleted under its community policies.
Additionally, the app will henceforth apply an AI-generated watermark to content made using its proprietary AI systems, or flagged by an cross-platform project for recognizing AI-generated material. This step is intended to help prevent users from trying to circumvent the tagging system.
AI Literacy Programs
The platform is furthermore introducing a $2 million awareness program for experts and organizations to develop informative material about responsible artificial intelligence. This project will benefit educational bodies dedicated to training programming and robotics.
Content Safety Approach
TikTok has supported its moderation strategy, during controversy over intentions to make redundant hundreds of safety staff in Britain. TikTok is expected to reduce 439 jobs in its trust and safety team in its British office, with trade unions and online safety experts voicing alarm that humans are being replaced by AI moderation.
A senior executive clarified that people-led review would still have a role, but artificial intelligence can protect employees by removing the most harmful content before it is viewed by people. The platform reported a notable drop in explicit and harmful content reviewed by content reviewers over the previous year due to reliance on its automated systems.
“We think that it’s essential to integrate people and machines to keep the platform safe,” she said. “We’ll have staff as involved in the system, but we also think it’s very important to reduce exposure to dangerous material as swiftly, which is the area in which a lot of the machine support is really helping us operate efficiently.”
