TikTok announced Content Credentials and other AI transparency and literacy measures

TikTok recently announced it would implement several measures to ensure that creators in its platform can share AI-generated content (AIGC) safely and responsibly. In addition to self-labeling TikTok AIGC, TikTok is partnering with the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) to implement Content Credentials to automate the labeling of AIGC posted to TikTok from other platforms. This move would make TikTok the first video-sharing platform to implement Content Credentials to identify AIGC. TikTok already labels content created using TikTok effects and has required creators to label realistic AIGC for over a year. TikTok created a tool for this purpose, used by over 37 million users last fall.

The Content Credentials integration will also enable TikTok to instantly detect the metadata the technology attaches to AIGC, thus making auto-labeling of external AIGC possible. The metadata detection capability has already been launched for images and video, with audio-only content to follow. The next step will be to incorporate Content Credentials metadata into TikTok-created content, which will remain attached to media, even if it is downloaded. This will enable users to learn whether a piece of content was made on TikTok, and additional information such as when, where, and how the content was made or edited. Likewise, external platforms implementing Content Credentials will be able to detect TikTok's metadata and label TikTok AIGC as such. As part of the content-labeling strategy, TikTok will also join the Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI).

TikTok's announcement of the Content Credentials integration highlighted that labeling may cause more harm than good if it confuses users who aren't necessarily familiar with how labels, or even AI-generated content, work. TikTok has committed to launching literacy campaigns in collaboration with MediaWise and WITNESS to address these challenges. The MediaWise campaign will consist of 12 videos on universal media literacy skills that will also explain the positive impact of AIGC-labeling by contextualizing content. The campaign developed in partnership with WITNESS will result in videos focusing on raising awareness around AI labeling and potentially misleading AIGC.

In parallel to these campaigns, TikTok will continue to enforce its policy against harmful AIGC and the industry pact it recently signed to fight against the use of deceptive AI content to influence elections. Moreover, looking into the future, the company committed to continue its investments in safety and harmful AIGC combatting strategies.