No social media platform is safe from the AI craze, and TikTok is no exception to this rule. The company is introducing new AI-generated avatars for the use of content creators. The new tools build off the Symphony generative AI ad suite TikTok announced last month.
Using Symphony Digital Avatars, TikTok creators and brands will be able to create customizable avatars that include Symphony AI language dubbing for global translation.
“At TikTok, we aim to empower creators and propel their creativity to a global audience with the power of generative AI,” said Andy Yang, head of creative product at TikTok. “Symphony Digital Avatars unlock a new avenue for creators to scale their opportunities with brands globally. We aim to fuel the creator economy by investing in creative solutions that spark joy, imagination and action.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktoknewsroom/video/7381474944737398062?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
There will be two types of Digital Avatars available for creators. The first, Stock Avatars, are pre-built avatars using paid actors licensed for commercial use. They’re available in diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and over 30 languages. The other is custom avatars, where creators can use their own likeness to create a multilingual avatar with their own brand IP.
There’s obviously an interesting accessibility angle here, with international TikToks able to access a more global audience. English-speaking TikToks may be able to access the market in China and vice versa. In a way, this could be a significant boost to diversity on the platform.
On the other hand, it’s also easy to see malicious actors use Digital Avatars for less-savory purposes. AI-generated revenge porn has already become a big problem, so TikTok will need to have significant content moderation policies and oversight in place to help prevent this — which is something it doesn’t have the best track record of currently.
Finally, there’s the issue of how this is yet another layer between creators and their audiences. There’s definitely a loss of personal connection between creators and their audience as AI takes over a lot of the “physical” work that used to drive content creation. Regardless, it seems unlikely that the AI trend will stop any time soon, and for better or worse, TikTok will soon be filled with AI-generated digital avatars. We’re also likely to see similar features roll out to TikTok alternatives like Snapchat, Instagram Reels, and others.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.