TikTok may add AI avatars that can make ads

TikTok plans to add an AI creator feature to its platform, which may compete with the sponsored ads human influencers make on the site.

The Information reports TikTok is developing virtual influencers to promote and sell items on the platform. The AI avatars can read scripts from prompts generated by advertisers or sellers on its TikTok Shop. The feature is not live yet and could still be changed.

According to The Information’s sources, TikTok staff have been testing AI avatars but found that they were not ready for release and attracted fewer e-commerce sales than human influencers. However, TikTok believes AI creators would complement their crop of creators. 

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

TikTok is not new to playing around with AI, and many of its experiments have yielded interesting results. In January, users spotted a new feature called Song Generator, which, through the large language model Bloom, allowed users to create “songs” and lyrics. That feature was only available to a few users. Last year, it began labeling filters and effects with an AI tag and also required posters to tell viewers they used AI filters.