Over 12,000 Parents Have Signed A Petition Urging TikTok To Address AI-Generated Influencers On The Platform, Citing Concerns About The Promotion Of Unrealistic Beauty Standards
Among parents, concerns are growing as influencers generated by AI technology gain traction on social media platforms popular with young users, particularly TikTok.
While AI can help open the doors to creativity, it also comes with potential risks. More than 12,000 parents are calling for action, urging TikTok to address the harm that AI-generated influencers can cause.
In an online petition targeted toward the platform’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, the parents state that they’re worried about the unrealistic beauty standards that AI-generated influencers promote. These creators can often pass as real people.
Without clear and consistent labeling that specifies which content is created by AI-generated influencers, many internet users, especially children and teenagers, will have difficulty distinguishing between what’s real and fake.
The petition is sponsored by a nonprofit organization called ParentsTogether, which helps fight for better policies to make the Internet a safer place for kids.
Since early last year, TikTok has made it a requirement for creators to label all realistic AI-generated content. However, parent advocates are arguing that it’s not enough.
Many of these accounts will characterize themselves as virtual influencers, but they don’t plainly state that their content is AI-generated. Plus, social media users often won’t know they’re watching an AI content creator unless they actually visit their profile.
Furthermore, a lot of accounts only make mention of their AI-generated content within the hashtags of their videos, which can be easily overlooked. Virtual influencers are nothing new, but their recent rise in popularity has made the need for transparency more crucial.
TikTok has asserted that they have removed three accounts that were flagged by ParentsTogether, but the deeper issue of not labeling fake influencers remains.
Studio Romantic – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual children
Currently, TikTok is depending on companies that run the AI accounts to label them as such. However, with financial profits at stake, these companies often don’t meet the specifications, leaving kids unaware.
According to the petition, about 46 percent of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 who were surveyed claim that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.
The petition cites that by allowing AI influencers to continue promoting unrealistic beauty standards, TikTok is perpetuating ideals that pose a danger to kids already struggling with body image.
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