The A.I. Influencer Ads Are Coming
The New York Times
Look closely. Is that a real person?
If you are scrolling through TikTok and see an ad, it is likely that the person trying to sell you something in that ad is a real human being. In the near future, that might not be the case.
On Monday, TikTok announced a new set of tools that will allow brands to create ads using avatars generated by artificial intelligence that look like real people. There will be two types of avatars, TikTok said in a release. Brands can choose from an array of stock avatars “created from video footage of real paid actors that are licensed for commercial use,” or they can opt for a customizable avatar that could be designed to look like a specific creator. (TikTok is currently testing these new features.)
Brands will be able to modify the avatars to meet their specifications, placing them in different settings — like a bathroom, kitchen or garden — and telling them what to say or do. A new dubbing tool will allow the avatars to speak in multiple languages.
Ads made with these new features will be labeled accordingly, TikTok said, noting the new tools are “designed to enhance and amplify human imagination, not replace it.”
Jessy Grossman, founder of the networking group Women in Influencer Marketing, said she thought A.I. would allow creators on the platform to work faster and at a greater volume, without sacrificing creativity.
“I feel like people who don’t really have much experience with A.I. tools assume that it will take in information and spit out a final product,” Ms. Grossman said. “That couldn’t be farther from the truth. It just helps put you on the right track and then you put your spin on it.”
