TikTok rolls out labeling for AI-generated content

TikTok is implementing a new feature that will automatically label content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) when uploaded from certain platforms. The initiative, which is part of TikTok's efforts to enhance transparency regarding the use of AI on its platform, will see the application of Content Credentials technology. This technology, an open technical standard developed by Adobe and supported by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), enables publishers, creators, and consumers to trace the origins of various types of media.

The labeling of AI-generated content will commence on Thursday and will be phased in for all TikTok users globally over the coming weeks. In the subsequent months, TikTok plans to attach Content Credentials to such content persistently, ensuring that the labels remain even when the content is downloaded. This move is intended to help combat misinformation and educate users about AI, particularly in light of concerns over the potential for AI-generated misinformation to impact future elections.

TikTok's adoption of Content Credentials places it among the first video-sharing platforms to do so. Other companies with generative AI capabilities, such as Adobe and Microsoft, have already integrated this technology to embed metadata into visual content created using their platforms. By joining the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), a consortium led by Adobe, TikTok is part of a larger industry effort to establish a standard for authenticating content.