Artificial intelligence (AI) on TikTok: the platform talks about its use
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3145/infonomy.24.040Keywords:
TikTok, Transparency, AI, Algorithms, For you, Filters, Creativity, Content creationAbstract
Today, TikTok is among the most widely used platforms globally. TikTok's utilization of AI is closely linked to its success. This idea is present in its users almost intuitively, but TikTok is opaque in describing how it is managed. In this paper, we look closely at what TikTok tells us about how the platform employs AI functionalities. We consulted its web pages and the bot embedded in TikTok's Business Center. The results show that TikTok is not entirely transparent about the algorithm that governs the "for you" section but acknowledges the use of generative AI in content generation, in collaboration with other partner tools such as CapCut.
References
Alonso-López, Nadia; Sidorenko-Bautista, Pavel; Apablaza-Campos, Alexis (2023). TikTok and active audiences in processes for political and structural change. An exploratory study based on the Scottish referendum. Communication & Society, 36 (3), 87-101. https://doi.org/10.15581/003.36.3.87-101
Alonso-López, Nadia; Sidorenko-Bautista, Pavel; Ferruz-González, Sonia-Aránzazu (2024). Administraciones públicas en TikTok. Comunicación, narrativa y frecuencia de publicación de los perfiles de los ministerios de España. Revista de Comunicación, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.26441/RC23.1-2024-3451
Baker-White, Emily (2024, Jan 17). TikTok owner ByteDance quietly launched 4 generative AI apps powered by OpenAI’s GPT. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilybaker-white/2024/01/16/tiktok-bytedance-ai-chatbots-openai
Castro-Martínez, Andrea; Díaz-Morilla, Pablo (2021). La comunicación política de la derecha radical en redes sociales. De Instagram a TikTok y Gab, la estrategia digital de Vox. Dígitos. Revista de Comunicación Digital, 7, 67-89. https://doi.org/10.7203/rd.v1i7.210
Cervi, Laura; Tejedor, Santiago; García-Blesa, Fernando (2023). TikTok and political communication: The latest frontier of politainment? A case study. Media and communication, (11)2. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i2.6390
Chackaravarthy, E. (2024, May, 06). The AI Algorithm That Got TikTok Users Hooked. Argoid Blog. https://www.argoid.ai/blog/the-ai-algorithm-that-got-tiktok-users-hooked
Dean, Brian (2024, February, 15). TikTok Statistics You Need To Know. BacklinkO. https://backlinko.com/tiktok-users
Hernando-Velasco, Alicia; Matsumoto, Mitsuko; Dominguez-Santos, Susana; Lacasa, Pilar (2024, in press). Digitalization of cultural industries: Evidence from the official Spider-Man movie TikTok account. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565241253904
House, E. (2024, May 06). Using Generative AI to Create TikTok Effects. Effect House by TikTok. https://effecthouse.tiktok.com/learn/guides/general/using-generative-ai-to-create-tiktok-effects
Lacasa, Pilar; Carbonell-Bercal, Noelia; Duran-Bonavila, Silvia; Contreras-Pulido, Paloma (2022). Héroes, ídolos y jóvenes influencers. Industrias culturales y modelos de identidad en TikTok. Techno Review, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.37467/revtechno.v11.4391
Lacasa, Pilar; Dominguez-Santos, Susana; Matsumoto, Mitsuko; Hernando-Velasco, Alicia (2023). TikTok en las aulas. UNIR.
Lang, Kirsti (2024, March 26). TikTok Algorithm Guide 2024: Everything We Know About How Videos Are Ranked. Buffer. https://buffer.com/resources/tiktok-algorithm
Liang, Meng (2022). The end of social media? How data attraction model in the algorithmic media reshapes the attention economy. Media, Culture & Society, 44(6), 1110–1131. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221077168
Lynch, Melissa (2024, March, 06). The Impact of AI on TikTok: How Algorithmic AI is and Will Continue to Impact User Experience and Content Creation. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/impact-ai-tiktok-how-algorithmic-continue-user-experience-lynch-eh5he
Manovich, Lev (2023, May 10). The Algorithmic State: Artificial Aesthetics with Lev Manovich, School of Visual Arts. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55udWaB_tRI
Maris, Elena; Caplan, Robyn; Thach, Hibby (2024). Taking back and giving back on TikTok: Algorithmic mutual aid in the platform economy. New Media & Society, 0(0), 14614448241238396. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448241238396
Metricool (2023, 23 de noviembre). Algoritmo de TikTok en 2024: cómo funciona. https://metricool.com/es/algoritmo-tiktok
Sidorenko-Bautista, Pavel; Herranz-de-la-Casa, José-María; Cantero-de-Julián, Juan-Ignacio (2020). Use of new narratives for COVID-19 reporting. From 360º videos to ephemeral TikTok videos in online media. Tripodos, 47(1), 105-122. https://doi.org/10.51698/trípodos.2020.47p105-122
Sidorenko-Bautista, Pavel; Herranz-de-la-Casa, José-María; Moya-Ruiz, Alba-Soledad (2021). Análisis de la comunicación de empresas europeas y norteamericanas en TikTok. aDResearch ESIC, 25(25), 106-123. https://doi.org/10.7263/adresic-025-06
Smith, Ben (2021, December 5). How TikTok reads your mind. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/05/business/media/tiktok-algorithm.html
Statista (2023). Most-followed creators on TikTok worldwide as of March 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1078315/most-followers-tiktok-global
TikTok (2022, December 15). What’s next 2023 trend report. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/whats-next-2023-trend-report
TikTok (2024, May, 06-a). Exploring videos. For you. TikTok. https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/exploring-videos/for-you
TikTok (2024, May, 06-b). How TikTok recommends content. TikTok. https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/exploring-videos/how-tiktok-recommends-content
TikTok (2024, May, 06-c). Introducing TikTok Creative Assistant: Supercharge content ideation. TikTok for Business. https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/tiktok-creative-assistant-smart-ai-tool
TikTok (2024, Mayo, 06-d). Seguridad online para Europa. Información general. https://www.tiktok.com/euonlinesafety/es-es
TikTok (2024, May 06-e). About AI-generated content. TikTok. https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/creating-videos/ai-generated-content
TikTok for Business (2024, February, 13). Adobe Express now includes TikTok's Creative Assistant. https://www.tiktok.com/business/en/blog/adobe-express-creative-assistant
Tolentino, Jia (2019 (September, 19)). How TikTok Holds Our Attention. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/30/how-tiktok-holds-our-attention
Vázquez-Herrero, Jorge; Negreira-Rey_María-Cruz; López-García, Xosé (2020). Let ́s dance the news! How the news media are adapting to the logic of TikTok. Journalism, 23(8). https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884920969092
Vijay, Darsana; Gekker, Alex (2021). Playing politics: How Sabarimala played out on TikTok. American Behavioral Scientist, 65(5), 712-734. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764221989769
Wagner, Keith B. (2023). TikTok and its mediatic split: the promotion of ecumenical user-generated content alongside Sinocentric media globalization. Media, Culture & Society, 45(2), 323-337. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221136006
We Are Social - Meltwater (2024). Digital 2024. Global overview report. https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2024/01/digital-2024
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Pavel Sidorenko-Bautista, Pilar Lacasa, Mitsuko Matsumoto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
