TikTok Rolls Out Controls for AI-Generated Content in User Feeds

In an era where AI-generated media is increasingly blending with human-created content, how can social platforms empower users to curate their digital experiences without stifling innovation?

Enhancing Transparency and User Agency in AI-Driven Social Media

TikTok has introduced a new feature allowing users to adjust the visibility of AI-generated content within their personalized “For You” feed, marking a step toward greater user control amid the rapid proliferation of synthetic media. This update integrates into the existing “Manage Topics” tool, which previously enabled adjustments for categories such as Dance, Sports, and Food & Drinks. The AI-generated content (AIGC) setting functions via a slider mechanism, enabling users to increase or decrease exposure without entirely excluding such material. This development reflects broader industry trends where platforms are navigating the balance between AI integration and content authenticity. While competitors like Meta and OpenAI have launched dedicated AI-focused feeds—such as Meta’s Vibes for short-form AI videos in September 2025 and OpenAI’s Sora platform shortly thereafter—TikTok’s approach emphasizes customization over segregation. Realistic AI videos have already appeared on TikTok, often used to illustrate topics like historical events or celebrity news, highlighting the platform’s evolving content ecosystem.

Integration of AIGC Controls into Existing Tools

The new control is accessible through TikTok’s settings under “Content Preferences” and then “Manage Topics.” Users can slide the AIGC indicator to tailor their feed, with the feature set to roll out globally in the coming weeks. This granular adjustment aims to accommodate diverse preferences: those seeking more AI-driven creativity can amplify it, while others preferring traditional user-generated content can reduce it.

• Key Functionality: The slider does not remove AI content outright but modulates its frequency, preserving the platform’s algorithmic diversity.
• User Impact: Early implications suggest this could mitigate concerns over misinformation or aesthetic overload from synthetic media, potentially improving user retention by aligning feeds more closely with individual tolerances for AI.
• Broader Context: As AI tools become ubiquitous, this feature addresses a growing demand for transparency, with surveys indicating that over 60% of social media users express unease about unlabeled AI content (though exact figures for TikTok remain unverified in recent data).

TikTok’s official statement underscores the intent: “Like those controls, the AIGC setting is intended to help people tailor the diverse range of content in their feed, rather than removing or replacing content in feeds entirely.”

Advancements in AI Content Labeling and Detection

To bolster identification efforts, TikTok is piloting “invisible watermarking” technology, which embeds undetectable markers readable only by the platform. This complements existing measures, including mandatory labeling for realistic AI-generated media and the adoption of Content Credentials from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). These credentials embed metadata to signal AI origins, but they can be stripped during reuploads or edits on third-party platforms. The invisible watermarks will initially apply to content created using TikTok’s own AI tools, such as AI Editor Pro, and to uploads bearing C2PA credentials. This layered approach enhances reliability in labeling, reducing the risk of undetected synthetic content circulating undetected.

• Technical Implications: By making watermarks harder to remove, TikTok aims to set a standard for cross-platform verification, potentially influencing industry-wide protocols and decreasing the societal risks of deepfakes or manipulated narratives.
• Challenges: While promising, the effectiveness of invisible watermarks against advanced editing tools remains an area of uncertainty, as real-world testing data is not yet public.

Launch of AI Literacy Fund to Support Education

Complementing these technical updates, TikTok has allocated $2 million toward an AI literacy fund. This initiative targets nonprofits and experts, including organizations like Girls Who Code, to develop educational content on AI safety, ethics, and detection. The fund seeks to equip users—particularly younger demographics—with skills to critically engage with AI-generated material. This move aligns with escalating calls for digital education, as AI’s societal impact expands. Projections indicate that by 2027, AI-generated content could comprise up to 30% of online media (based on industry forecasts, with TikTok-specific adoption rates unconfirmed). By fostering literacy, TikTok positions itself as a proactive player in mitigating potential harms like bias amplification or eroded trust in online information. As AI continues to reshape social media landscapes, would you adjust your feed settings to better manage exposure to synthetic content in your daily scrolling?