As TikTok, a platform owned by ByteDance, moves toward AI-powered content regulation, hundreds of workers have been let go globally, including about 500 in Malaysia.
The job cuts, which were announced via email, are a component of a larger initiative to enhance TikTok’s worldwide moderation services.
According to a TikTok representative, the move is intended to increase the effectiveness of content filtering, which blends human and artificial intelligence supervision.
With $2 billion invested globally by the corporation in trust and safety, 80 percent of hazardous information is now eliminated by artificial intelligence.
AI technology is progressively replacing human moderators, who have to deal with challenging working conditions including poor pay and exposure to upsetting content. AI technology can handle policy violations like violence and nudity.
TikTok’s moderation system still uses human reviewers for content that has been marked for appeals, despite the increasing influence of AI.
Due to complaints over the negative impact that the site has on the mental health of its human moderators, TikTok has said that it is investing in staff assistance.
In places like Malaysia, where the government is pressuring social media companies to strengthen content filtering in order to prevent cyber crimes, these layoffs are taking place in the midst of growing regulatory pressure.
TikTok has also encountered legal issues in the US, since several states have claimed that the platform’s addictive characteristics cause mental health problems for minors.
