TikTok has announced that it will begin labeling content created using artificial intelligence (AI) when it is uploaded from outside its platform in an effort to combat misinformation. The company believes that AI can provide incredible creative opportunities, but it can also confuse or mislead viewers if they are not aware that the content was AI-generated. By labeling AI-generated content, TikTok aims to provide clear context for its users. The platform has already required creators to label realistic AI-generated content for over a year.
This shift in policy by TikTok is part of a broader trend in the technology industry to provide more safeguards for AI usage. Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has announced that it is working with industry partners on technical standards to identify images, videos, and audio generated by AI tools. Users on Facebook and Instagram will see labels on AI-generated images, and Google has also announced that AI labels are coming to YouTube and its other platforms. Additionally, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in October that included a push for digital watermarking and labeling of AI-generated content.
TikTok is collaborating with the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity to utilize their Content Credentials technology. This technology allows metadata to be attached to content, enabling TikTok to instantly recognize and label AI-generated content. The platform began deploying this technology on images and videos and will soon expand it to audio-only content. Content Credentials will be attached to submissions made on TikTok and will remain on the content when downloaded, helping to identify AI-generated material created on the platform and provide information on when, where, and how the content was made or edited.
In the coming months, TikTok plans to use Content Credentials as a way to identify and convey important information about AI-generated content. Other platforms that adopt this technology will be able to automatically label AI-generated content, providing transparency for users. By implementing this technology, TikTok aims to improve transparency and authenticity on its platform, ensuring that users are aware of the origins of the content they are viewing.
Overall, TikTok’s decision to label AI-generated content is part of a larger effort within the technology industry to provide safeguards and transparency around the use of AI. By collaborating with industry partners and utilizing Content Credentials technology, TikTok aims to provide clear context for its users and combat misinformation. This move reflects a growing awareness of the importance of transparency and authenticity in digital content, and signals a broader trend towards increased regulation and labeling of AI-generated material.
