TikTok Lets Users Choose How Much AI-Generated Content They See
TikTok Lets Users Choose How Much AI-Generated Content They See
TikTok recently rolled out a major update giving users new control over how much AI-generated content appears in their personal feeds. With this change, TikTok seeks to balance both the rising popularity of AI-created content and users’ individual preferences.
📲 What’s Changing: AIGC Slider in “Manage Topics”
- Previously, TikTok’s “Manage Topics” tool allowed users to tweak their preferences for categories like Dance, Sports, Food & Drinks, and more. The new update adds “AI-Generated Content (AIGC)” as a controllable category. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
- Through a simple slider in Settings → Content Preferences → Manage Topics , users can now choose whether they want to see more, less, or default levels of AI-generated content in their For You feed. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- Importantly: this isn’t an on/off switch — TikTok clarifies that the slider is meant to adjust the balance , not to completely remove or ban AI content. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
🔍 Why This Update Matters: Context Behind the Move
- AI-generated content — from synthetic videos to AI-created visuals — has surged across social platforms, including TikTok. Recently, many users have reported a flood of “deep-fake” style AI videos, AI-enhanced animations, and other synthetic content. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
- For some users, this proliferation reduces their sense of authenticity and connection to creators; for others, AI content offers novelty, creativity, or entertainment. The new slider allows each user to customize their own balance. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
- By doing so, TikTok appears to acknowledge a bigger trend: as AI-generated content becomes common, content curation and user agency — not just algorithmic boosting — will play a key role in how people engage with digital media.
🛡️ Transparency and Safety: Labeling + Watermarking
- To help users recognize what’s AI-generated, TikTok is doubling down on transparency. In addition to requiring creators to label AI-generated content, TikTok is now testing an “invisible watermark” system. This watermark is embedded in AI content — and is harder to remove even if videos are re-uploaded elsewhere. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
- The watermark applies to content created via TikTok’s own AI tools (like “AI Editor Pro”) as well as to uploads using cross-platform metadata standards such as C2PA’s Content Credentials.
- Furthermore, TikTok is launching a US$2 million fund for AI-literacy content — aimed at nonprofits and educators to produce materials explaining AI’s risks, how to spot synthetic media, and how to use AI more safely and responsibly.
🎯 What It Means for Users and the Broader Social-Media Landscape
- More control for users. If you find too many AI-generated videos distracting, misleading or low-quality, you now have a direct way to reduce their presence. On the other hand, if you enjoy surreal or AI-enhanced content, the slider lets you lean into it.
- A new balance between human and synthetic content. Platforms increasingly blur lines between organic and AI-produced media. By giving users control, TikTok may help preserve content diversity and user trust — potentially putting pressure on other platforms to offer similar controls.
- Transparency becomes key. The invisible watermarking initiative suggests that as synthetic media proliferates, reliable labeling and traceability will become more important for platforms, regulators, and users alike.
- Elevated importance of media literacy. With the AI-literacy fund and labeling tools, TikTok acknowledges that many users may struggle to distinguish between AI-generated and human-made content. Education could become a vital part of responsible AI integration.
🔚 Final Thoughts
TikTok’s new feature — a simple slider putting users in charge of how much AI-generated content they see — may appear minor at first glance. But in the bigger picture, it signals a shift: as AI becomes intrinsic to content creation, giving users transparency and choice may become essential to sustaining trust and engagement.
