No social media platform is safe from the AI craze, and TikTok is no exception to this rule. The company is introducing new AI-generated avatars for the use of content creators. The new tools build off the Symphony generative AI ad suite TikTok announced last month.
Using Symphony Digital Avatars, TikTok creators and brands will be able to create customizable avatars that include Symphony AI language dubbing for global translation.
“At TikTok, we aim to empower creators and propel their creativity to a global audience with the power of generative AI,” said Andy Yang, head of creative product at TikTok. “Symphony Digital Avatars unlock a new avenue for creators to scale their opportunities with brands globally. We aim to fuel the creator economy by investing in creative solutions that spark joy, imagination and action.”
@tiktoknewsroom Introducing Symphony Digital Avatars, to help creators and brands captivate global audiences and deliver impactful messages in an immersive and authentic way. Check out our Newsroom to learn more.
There will be two types of Digital Avatars available for creators. The first, Stock Avatars, are pre-built avatars using paid actors licensed for commercial use. They’re available in diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and over 30 languages. The other is custom avatars, where creators can use their own likeness to create a multilingual avatar with their own brand IP.
There’s obviously an interesting accessibility angle here, with international TikToks able to access a more global audience. English-speaking TikToks may be able to access the market in China and vice versa. In a way, this could be a significant boost to diversity on the platform.
On the other hand, it’s also easy to see malicious actors use Digital Avatars for less-savory purposes. AI-generated revenge porn has already become a big problem, so TikTok will need to have significant content moderation policies and oversight in place to help prevent this — which is something it doesn’t have the best track record of currently.
Finally, there’s the issue of how this is yet another layer between creators and their audiences. There’s definitely a loss of personal connection between creators and their audience as AI takes over a lot of the “physical” work that used to drive content creation. Regardless, it seems unlikely that the AI trend will stop any time soon, and for better or worse, TikTok will soon be filled with AI-generated digital avatars. We’re also likely to see similar features roll out to TikTok alternatives like Snapchat, Instagram Reels, and others.
