TikTok has announced plans to introduce labels for Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated content uploaded to its platform, aiming to use digital watermarks called Content Credentials for this purpose.
This move comes amid concerns from researchers about the potential misuse of AI-generated content, particularly in the context of upcoming US elections, prompting TikTok and other tech companies to take action against such misuse.
“While TikTok already labels AI-generated content created within its app, the new initiative will extend labeling to content generated outside the platform,” Reuters reported.
TikTok’s head of operations and trust and safety, Adam Presser emphasized that the platform has strict policies against unlabeled realistic AI content, promising to remove any violating content.
“We also have policies that prohibit realistic AI that is not labeled, so if realistic AI (generated contents) appears on the platform, then we will remove it as violating our community guidelines.”
The Content Credentials technology, developed by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, enjoys support from tech giants like Adobe and Microsoft.
It has also been adopted by entities like OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
Other major platforms, including YouTube and Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), have announced plans to implement this technology as well.
For the labeling system to be effective, both the AI tool creator and the platform distributing the content must agree to use the industry standard.
For example, OpenAI’s Dall-E tool attaches a watermark to AI-generated images, enabling platforms like TikTok to automatically label such content upon upload.
TikTok’s move to label AI-generated content comes as the platform faces regulatory scrutiny, particularly in the US where lawmakers have raised concerns about data privacy and national security.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is currently embroiled in legal battles over regulatory actions aimed at the platform.