TikTok, the popular social media platform known for its short-form videos, has announced that it will now automatically label content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) when it is uploaded to the platform.
In a recent partnership with the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), TikTok has become the first media-sharing platform to implement the Content Credentials technology. This technology attaches metadata to AI-generated content, allowing the platform to instantly recognize and label it.
While TikTok has already required content creators to label realistic AI-generated content for over a year, along with content made using its own AI effects, this new development focuses on auto-labeling AI-generated content created using other platforms. The platform plans to gradually increase the amount of auto-labeled AI content as the Content Credentials technology is implemented on other platforms.
Initially, this feature will only be available for images and videos, but there are plans to extend it to audio content in the near future.
In addition to the AI labeling, TikTok has joined the Content Authenticity Initiative led by Adobe. As part of this initiative, TikTok will be rolling out media literacy resources that have been developed alongside MediaWise and Witness. These resources aim to educate users about media literacy skills and explain how tools like AI-generated content labels can provide context to the content.
The introduction of auto-labeling AI-generated content comes at a time when AI technology is advancing rapidly, leading to the creation of more realistic content. This has also resulted in an increase in AI-generated deepfakes, which are causing concerns regarding authenticity and trust.
Authorities in Hong Kong recently discovered an unlicensed cryptocurrency exchange that used AI-generated videos and images of Elon Musk to fake a connection with him. This incident highlights the potential misuse of AI technology for fraudulent activities.
Warren Buffett, co-founder of Berkshire Hathaway, has also expressed concerns about the impact of AI on illicit financial activities. He compared it to the advent of atomic bombs and nuclear weaponry, emphasizing the need for caution and regulation.
To address these concerns and promote media literacy, TikTok plans to release 12 videos throughout the year that highlight universal media literacy skills and explain how their AI-generated content labels can help users better understand the context of the content they consume.
Overall, TikTok’s decision to automatically label AI-generated content and provide media literacy resources reflects its commitment to promoting authenticity and transparency on its platform in the face of advancing AI technology and the rise of deepfakes.