GoKawiilTikTok is testing an AI-powered meme maker that's inspired by your videos, the company confirmed to CNET this week. The experimental feature prompted TikTok to add a new setting that automatically gives other users permission to remix your content with AI, unless you explicitly opt out.
Creators who spotted the hidden setting on the social media app are complaining and worried about their data.
The new AI feature, called the meme remixer, lets anyone who sees your TikTok video create an AI-generated image from it, changing the face, voice or background. For example, if you posted a video of yourself at a new coffee shop, a commenter could hypothetically use the meme remixer to type in a custom prompt and create an AI image featuring your likeness on a beach or in another scenario. These images would get shared in the comments of the original video.
For some TikTokers, it feels like an invasion of privacy, another attempt by social media platforms to stealthily alter original content. From the company's perspective, it's a way to expand on the ability to post images in comments.
"It shouldn't be that hard to allow us to opt out in one toggle setting," creator Sean Szolek-Van Valkenburgh said in his video. While creators knowingly hand over some rights to their content when posting to platforms, there should be an option to limit how much of that is exploited by AI, he said.
TikTok has been introducing AI features to its platform for several years now. You might've noticed the new translucent icon above a profile picture when you're swiping through videos -- that's Tako (pronounced "taco"), TikTok's AI assistant.
Like other social media platforms, TikTok has faced backlash for integrating AI, with creators panicking that AI slop is drowning out their original content, along with environmental, legal and ethical concerns. But that hasn't stopped companies like TikTok, Snapchat and Meta, which own Instagram and Facebook, from charging into AI.
I learned why TikTok introduced the AI remix setting and explored the privacy concerns it raises.
Remixable content
The meme remixer feature is still in an experimental phase, TikTok said. It's not broadly available, and there's no word on when it may be rolled out to more users on the platform. TikTok said the tool could change significantly before a potential general release.
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