TikTok Introduces New Controls to Manage AI-Generated Content in the For You Feed

In recent years, AI tools have made it incredibly easy for anyone to create videos, animations, characters, and even entire stories with little to no technical skills. Platforms like TikTok have naturally become hotspots for such content. But with this growth also comes concern—some users love AI videos, while others prefer original human-created content. TikTok’s latest update tries to strike the perfect balance by letting people customize their feed based on their preferences.

Below, we break down everything you need to know about this update, why TikTok is doing it, how invisible watermarking works, and what this means for the future of digital content creation.

A New Way to Personalize the TikTok Experience

TikTok’s new AI-Generated Content (AIGC) control is integrated into the “Manage Topics” section within the Content Preferences menu. This section already allows users to fine-tune the frequency of different categories they see—such as sports, dance, food, entertainment, lifestyle, and more. Now, AI-generated videos are treated as a distinct category with their own adjustable slider.

How the Slider Works

After opening:
Settings → Content Preferences → Manage Topics,
users will find a slider labeled “AI-generated content.”

Depending on the user’s choice:

• Moving the slider down means less AI content

• Moving it up means more AI content

• Keeping it balanced means a mixture of both human-made and AI-generated videos

This helps users control how much exposure they have to AI visuals, which have become extremely common since the rise of advanced generative models.

Why TikTok is Introducing This Feature Now

This update comes at a time when AI-generated videos are more popular than ever. Major tech companies are experimenting with AI-only content feeds:

• Meta launched Vibes, a dedicated feed filled entirely with AI-created short videos.

• OpenAI launched Sora, a platform allowing people to generate highly realistic videos using artificial intelligence.

These platforms have inspired creators to experiment more with AI. Many TikTok users now post AI-generated scenes involving historical events, imaginary scenarios, celebrity mashups, futuristic cities, and even animated storytelling clips.

While these videos can be fun and visually impressive, some users feel overwhelmed by the amount of AI content and prefer authentic videos recorded by real people. TikTok’s new control aims to strike a healthy balance between creativity and authenticity.

Ensuring Transparency: Invisible Watermarking Technology

One of the biggest challenges TikTok faces is making sure that users can clearly differentiate between videos created by humans and videos generated by AI tools. TikTok already uses C2PA Content Credentials, a global standard that adds digital metadata indicating whether a piece of content is AI-generated.

However, there’s a catch:
Metadata can be lost or removed if someone downloads, edits, or reuploads the content on another platform.

To solve this, TikTok is testing a more robust system—invisible watermarking.

What Is Invisible Watermarking?

Invisible watermarking embeds a hidden, unremovable signature inside the video. Users cannot see it with the naked eye, but TikTok’s systems can instantly identify whether the video was created with AI.

This means:

• AI-generated videos uploaded from other apps cannot hide their origin

• Content creators cannot remove the label by editing or reuploading

• The platform can keep track of AI videos more accurately

This is crucial for transparency, misinformation prevention, and user trust.

TikTok will first apply invisible watermarks to:

• Videos created using its own tools (e.g., AI Editor Pro)

• Videos uploaded with C2PA metadata already attached

Over time, TikTok may expand this watermarking system to more tools and content formats.

AI Literacy Fund: Helping People Understand AI Safely

To support responsible and informed use of artificial intelligence, TikTok has also announced a $2 million AI literacy fund. This initiative will work with experts, educators, and nonprofits to help users understand:

• How AI works

• How to identify AI-generated content

• How to stay safe while consuming AI visuals

• How to critically evaluate what they see online

One of the first confirmed partners is Girls Who Code, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the next generation of young women in tech. TikTok hopes this initiative will help build a more informed online community as AI becomes increasingly integrated into social media.

How This Update Benefits Everyday TikTok Users

1. More Control Over Your Feed

For users who find AI videos repetitive, unrealistic, or overwhelming, the new slider offers a simple way to reduce them. For others who enjoy AI creativity, effects, and storytelling, it's an opportunity to see more of it.

2. Better Transparency

Invisible watermarking ensures that videos made with AI tools are accurately identified, reducing confusion and preventing misleading content from spreading.

3. Better Protection Against Misinformation

AI-generated videos sometimes look extremely realistic. Clear labeling helps viewers avoid being deceived by fake events, fake celebrity videos, or misleading AI edits.

4. Supports Creative Freedom

Instead of banning or restricting AI content, TikTok is giving users the power to decide what they want to see. This supports creativity while maintaining trust.

5. Education and Awareness

The AI literacy fund ensures that users—especially young audiences—learn the importance of digital safety and critical thinking.

The Future of AI on TikTok and Social Media

The introduction of AI content controls shows that TikTok understands how important personalization is in today’s digital world. As AI technology becomes more advanced, more creators will experiment with it. This means platforms must find ways to maintain trust while encouraging creativity.

TikTok’s approach—a mix of user control, transparency tools, improved labeling, and educational initiatives—may become a model for other platforms in the future.

We can expect:

• More advanced AI detection methods

• More AI tools for creators

• Better community education around AI

• Increased user control over feed preferences

The coming years will likely reshape how people interact with online content, and TikTok is preparing for that shift early.

Final Thoughts

TikTok’s new AI content control update is not just a small feature—it’s a significant improvement in how users manage their experience and how the platform responds to the rapid growth of AI-generated media. By allowing users to adjust the amount of AI content they see, enhancing labeling accuracy with invisible watermarks, and launching an AI literacy fund, TikTok is taking meaningful steps to balance creativity, safety, and personalization.

As AI becomes more deeply integrated into digital platforms, features like these will play a key role in building trust and helping users navigate the evolving world of online content.