TikTok now allows users to control AI-generated content on their feed

TikTok, an app that was once primarily a platform for user-generated content, is introducing a new setting that allows users to choose how much AI-generated content they want to see in their “For You” feed. The social media company is also presenting more advanced labeling technologies for AI-generated content.

The new AI-generated content control is launching within the app’s “Manage Topics” tool, which lets users select what they see on TikTok.

TikTok stated in a blog post that the new AI-generated content control setting functions similarly to the existing “Manage Topics” feature, which allows users to adjust the frequency of content from over ten categories (such as Dance, Sports, and Food & Drinks). The company clarified that this new control is intended to help people customize the variety of content in their feed, rather than removing or replacing content entirely.

The adoption of AI-exclusive feeds is gaining momentum, as evidenced by major companies like Meta and OpenAI. In a recent move, Meta launched “Vibes” in September, a new feed dedicated to creating and sharing short, AI-generated videos. This was quickly followed by OpenAI’s release of “Sora,” a social media platform that focused on generating and sharing AI-generated videos just a few days later.

Since Sora’s launch, realistic AI-generated videos have been posted to TikTok. Additionally, many TikTok users are utilizing AI to create visuals for posts on various topics, such as history or celebrities.

TikTok states that with new AI-generated content controls, users who want to see less of this type of content can now adjust their settings, while those who enjoy it can choose to see more.

To access the new capability, navigate to your Settings, select “Content Preferences,” and then click the “Manage Topics” option. Here, you can adjust a slider for various topics, including AI-generated content, to control the volume of that type of content you see in your For You feed.

The change is scheduled to roll out in the coming weeks, according to TikTok.

To enhance its ability to label AI-generated content, TikTok is now working on a technology called “invisible watermarking.”

TikTok already requires people to label realistic AI-generated content and utilizes a cross-industry technology called Content Credentials from C2PA, which embeds metadata into content, allowing it and other platforms to know when something is AI-generated. However, TikTok remarks that these labels can be removed when content is reuploaded or edited on different platforms.

With the new “invisible watermarks,” TikTok will add another layer of security by using a watermark that can only be read by the intended recipient. That means it’ll be more difficult for others to remove it.

TikTok will begin adding invisible watermarks to AI-generated content created using TikTok tools such as AI Editor Pro. It’s also adding them to content uploaded with C2PA’s Content Credentials. The company mentions that these watermarks will help it mark content more reliably. According to TikTok, it will continue reading C2PA’s Content Credentials and add them to AI-generated content created on its platform.

Related to these initiatives, TikTok has announced a $2 million AI literacy fund to support experts, such as the nonprofit Girls Who Code, in creating content focused on AI literacy and safety. This initiative is part of their broader efforts in this area.