TikTok is cracking down on AI content
TikTok have announced measures to tackle AI content but ensuring that viewers know exactly what they’re watching.
AI content is here and its everywhere. Social media is already rife with generated content and the lines between what is real and what’s not will only become more blurred. We must protect users and help people identify the real from the fake.
In their efforts to respond to the ever-increasing influx of AI content, TikTok have announced their first moves in response to it. They are looking to embrace AI rather than trying to prevent it, but introducing measures to ensure artificially generated content is defined on their platform.
TikTok have been labelling content that features AI effects for over a year. Content created using TikTok’s own tools to create AI-generated content is automatically labelled. Starting now, TikTok are expanding their auto-labelling tool to cover videos uploaded using AI-generated content from other platforms.
They will be able to read ‘Content Credentials’ which attributed metadata to content, allowing easy recognition of content that uses AI effects or content. Content Credentials is a technology created from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity. TikTok have added the recognition technology to images and videos with plans to bring it to audio-only content soon.
TikTok will also add Content Credentials to TikTok content, ensuring that videos created from their platform can be detected for AI elsewhere. This is part of a broader, multi-platform effort to regulate AI generated content in an increasingly ambiguous media landscape. TikTok are also joining the Content Authenticity Initiative led by Adobe.
Adobe’s General Counsel and Chief Trust Officer, Dana Rao writes: “With TikTok’s vast community of creators and users globally, we are thrilled to welcome them to both the C2PA and CAI as they embark on the journey to provide more transparency and authenticity on the platform. At a time when any digital content can be altered, it is essential to provide ways for the public to discern what is true. Today’s announcement is a critical step towards achieving that outcome.”
Of course, not all AI content is the same. TikTok emphasise their commitment to removing AI-generated content that is harmfully misleading. They signed an industry pact this year that tackles the use of deceptive AI content in elections. TikTok announce: “We continue to invest in combatting harmful AI-generated content by evolving our proactive detection models, consulting with experts, and partnering with peers on shared solutions.”
TikTok’s announcements on their efforts in AI come shortly after they revealed that they have made a new deal with Universal Music Group. In the announcement of their deal, TikTok stated their commitment to “industry-leading protections with respect to generative AI”.