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TikTok is introducing a updated setting that enables them to lessen the amount of artificial intelligence-produced media appearing in their timelines. This step comes as the platform disclosed that it presently contains over 1 thousand million AI videos.

Trial and Implementation

The update is in a pilot phase over the following weeks before a global launch. This shift aligns with a rise in AI content, driven by recent AI video creators.

AI Proliferation Online

It has been noted that almost 10% of the most rapidly expanding content creators on another major platform only show clips produced artificially. A large amount of this output is classified as “AI slop”, a term for substandard, factory-style content that is often nonsensical or dreamlike.

“We know from our community that many people enjoy content created using AI tools, including computer-generated images to educational videos, and we want to offer the community the power to see more or less of that, based on their own preferences,” said a company executive.

Scale of AI Content

The platform announced that there are currently 1.3bn videos on its app identified as made with AI. In total, more than 100 mn pieces of content are added to the service daily, making AI-generated material a relatively small percentage of its total content library.

How to Adjust Settings

Users will be in a position to reduce or increase the level of AI content they see by opening the “manage topic” setting in the application and picking “AI-generated content”. Other topics that currently be adjusted under the tool cover current affairs, fashion, aesthetics, and dance.

Content Labeling and Policies

The platform’s guidelines mandate users to identify “realistic” AI-generated content, and it forbids harmful AI impersonations of public figures or emergencies. Any realistic artificial content that is not labeled can be removed under its terms of service.

In addition, the service will henceforth attach an artificially created label to content produced via its proprietary AI systems, or identified by an collaborative effort for identifying artificial media. This measure is intended to deter users from attempting to evade the tagging system.

AI Literacy Programs

The company is also launching a $2m AI literacy fund for specialists and institutions to develop learning resources about ethical AI use. This project will assist non-profit groups specializing in training coding and technology.

Moderation Strategy

The platform has defended its moderation strategy, amid debate over intentions to lay off a large number of content moderators in the UK. It is expected to cut 439 jobs in its user protection department in London, with labor groups and digital protection specialists raising concerns that people are being substituted by machine-led review.

A trust and safety lead explained that people-led review would still have a role, but artificial intelligence can safeguard staff by filtering out the most distressing content before it has to be seen by humans. The platform announced a notable drop in shocking and graphic content handled by content reviewers over the previous year due to the use of its AI tools.

It is vital to integrate staff and AI to ensure user safety,” she said. “We’ll have staff as part of that process, but we additionally believe it’s very important to minimize viewing of dangerous material as rapidly, which is where a significant AI assistance is really helping us process content quickly.”