TikTok Adds User Controls for AI Content, Expands Labeling

TikTok is rolling out a new control that lets users decide how much AI-generated content appears in their For You feed, marking the platform’s latest move to respond to the rapid rise of synthetic media on mainstream social apps. The update arrives as AI-first video feeds gain traction across the industry, with companies such as Meta and OpenAI pushing heavily into AI-only content environments.

The new setting lives under Manage Topics within TikTok’s content preferences. Previously, that tool allowed users to fine-tune how often they saw categories like sports, food, or dance. Now, an added slider for AI-generated content gives users the ability to increase or decrease their exposure to AIGC. According to TikTok, the goal is not to replace the feed’s core recommendation engine but to give people more direct influence over the mix of content they encounter. As the company explained, “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.”

The change comes at a time when TikTok is dealing with an influx of highly realistic AI videos, often created on external platforms. OpenAI’s Sora, which launched earlier this year as a social platform for sharing AI-generated clips, has contributed to a growing stream of synthetic media being reposted into TikTok’s ecosystem. Many creators on the platform also use generative tools to produce visuals for posts that touch on topics like pop culture or historical storytelling.

Alongside user controls, TikTok is expanding its detection efforts. The company is testing “invisible watermarking,” a new method for identifying AI-generated content using markers only TikTok can read. The technology is designed to complement existing tools such as C2PA’s Content Credentials, which embed metadata into media but can be stripped when videos are edited or reuploaded. TikTok will apply these invisible watermarks to AI-generated videos made with its own editing tools and to content already tagged through C2PA metadata.

Additionally, TikTok announced a $2 million AI literacy fund intended to support organizations – such as Girls Who Code – in producing educational content around AI safety and media literacy. The new controls and watermarking systems will roll out to users over the coming weeks.