TikTok is introducing a new feature that allows them to cut down on the amount of AI-made media appearing in their feeds. This move comes as the company disclosed that it now features over 1 thousand million AI videos.
Pilot Phase and Launch
The update is being tested over the coming weeks before a global rollout. This development coincides with a surge in AI content, spurred by new AI video creators.
AI Proliferation Online
Studies have shown that approximately a tenth of the most rapidly expanding video streams on a competing service exclusively feature clips produced artificially. A large amount of this content is classified as “AI slop”, a label for poor-quality, factory-style content that is typically illogical or bizarre.
“We know from our community that numerous viewers appreciate content made with AI tools, including computer-generated images to science explainers, and we want to provide users the option to adjust the amount of that, depending on their own choices,” said a platform representative.
Volume and Proportions
The platform announced that there are presently 1.3bn videos on its service labeled as made with AI. Overall, in excess of 100 million pieces of content are uploaded to the service daily, making AI content a relatively small percentage of its total content library.
User Control Features
Viewers will be able to decrease or raise the level of AI-generated videos they view by using the “manage topic” option in the application and selecting “AI-generated content”. Other topics that can already be adjusted under the tool cover current affairs, style, beauty, and choreography.
Content Labeling and Policies
Its rules require users to identify convincing AI-generated content, and it bans harmful fake videos of well-known individuals or emergencies. Any authentic-looking AI video that is without a tag can be taken down under its terms of service.
In addition, the service will now add an artificially created watermark to content produced via its own AI tools, or identified by an collaborative effort for identifying artificial media. This action is aimed to stop users from trying to circumvent the disclosure requirement.
Educational Initiatives
TikTok is furthermore establishing a $2m AI literacy fund for experts and organizations to develop learning resources about ethical AI use. This project will support charitable organizations focused on educating computer science.
Platform Protection
The video-sharing app has justified its moderation strategy, amid debate over intentions to cut jobs for hundreds of safety staff in Britain. It is planning to reduce a significant number of roles in its content moderation division in its British office, with worker representatives and online safety experts expressing worry that people are being substituted by machine-led review.
A company official clarified that staff-based oversight would remain essential, but AI can safeguard staff by removing the most distressing content before it has to be seen by people. TikTok reported a 76% decrease in explicit and harmful content handled by safety staff over the previous year due to intervention by its automated systems.
It is vital to combine people and machines to ensure user safety,” the official commented. “We’ll have staff as integral to the approach, but we further consider it’s extremely critical to minimize viewing of dangerous material as swiftly, which is why a extensive automated help is making a difference process content quickly.”
