Give me Liberty or Give me TikTok
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Bytedance’s superstar mobile app, TikTok has risen to hero status becoming the go-to source of entertainment during lockdown. Viral dance challenges, comedic skits and short snippets of video content have grabbed the attention of over 1 billion monthly users.
In a time where uncertainty and boredom reigns, a bit of creative romance is received with open arms. Its genius architect, Zhang Yiming describes his creation thus, “Romance is all about imagining interesting things that could happen in theory but not in reality yet.” With constant media fear-mongering related to the coronavirus outbreak restricted social behavior and even moral judgements have become more prevalent around the world.
Humans seeking an outlet for eccentricity, are flocking to a platform that showcases and understands their needs. Here is precisely where the true brilliance behind the artificial intelligence of TikTok shines. According to Bloomberg, “Within a day, the app can get to know you so well it feels like it’s reading your mind.”
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What’s a TikTok?
Launched by ByteDance in September 2016, TikTok – known as Douyin 抖音 in China – is a social media app for the live broadcasting, creating and sharing of videos. It’s one of many apps in the “Internet AI” category, including Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Algorithms within the application are able to perceive and interpret the world according to viewing patterns of users. Bytedance’s first hit Toutiao, for example, automatically curates and recommends news content based on user preferences and habits.
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Similarly TikTok’s recommendation engine has grown in sophistication. It’s uncanny learning abilities harness intimate user data to foster addictive behavior. While Facebook’s secret sauce tapped into our social network to provide suggestions, TikTok digs deeper into our core. Using the taps of our fingertips TikTok’s proprietary technology reveals the intricacies of our desires.
The Good:
It feels great to be known. Not only does TikTok learn its users to a T, it also gives a unique opportunity for the ordinary person to become a star. Without agents or expensive production teams, everyday people can become celebrities and even earn income. The flow of posting on TikTok is a lot easier to hack than convoluted YouTube algorithms and streaming links. TikTok is an instant and daily virtual stage.
Due to the coronavirus lockdown, entire households, across generations have enjoyed laughs and fun, contributing to viral social media challenges. Whether they are dances, re-enactments of skits or silly songs, TikTok creation is a pleasant and interactive release from the mundane.
The Bad:
TikTok’s homemade content has become prevalent, particularly among rural and poor areas of China, India and other emerging markets. Originally, content consisted mainly of mindless entertainment. However, Bytedance acquisitions shows an evolving agenda to tap into news, politics and thought leadership. Its globalization strategy included a series of mergers and acquisitions.
In January 2018, ByteDance and BuzzFeed signed a partnership whereby ByteDance was licensed to distribute BuzzFeed’s entertainment content in China. Its acquisition of Musical.ly in August 2018 cemented its growing dominance in the US and around the world. Massive accumulation of data sets and global content has cemented this Chinese company as the leader of social influence. In areas where access to varied digital entertainment options are often limited TikTok’s content recipe could become the predominant thought leader.
This could be a reason for the backlash from governments and corporations worldwide. It’s also extremely popular among the tender age group of 14-26. In the US for example, 60% of TikTok users fall in this category, according to the November 2019 release from Reuters. Monopoly of attention has huge implications to future development and power.
The Ugly:
Vulnerable groups could be susceptible to propaganda and manipulation placed between the fast and dirty content appearing to users without their choice. Users flock to TikTok as direct feeds so accurately match users interests. Machine learning algorithms get smarter with the accumulation of data sets. China clearly has an advantage simply due to their population numbers. China’s population stands around 1.43 billion and as of the first quarter of 2020, about 904 million people had access to the internet.
With ever increasing power in Bytedance artificial brainchild, the question remains, to what end is this AI learning and influencing users? How are users protected from malicious content?
Chinese mobile users are comfortable with sharing private data, in sharp contrast with western countries that enforce strict regulations.
In March 2019 TikTok was fined a record $5.7 million by the US Federal Trade Commission for collecting the personal data of children under 13. Fires have sparked around the world as companies denounce the dangers of TikTok. It’s most recent foe was Amazon, following suit of the USA government and banning its use to employees. Although they recently retracted their apparent ban, the damage is done. So what is the real danger of the TikTok? Their data collection might seem intrusive, however Facebook, Google, and countless other apps do exactly the same with user permission.
Will Bytedance follow suit the way Cambridge Analytica manipulated voters with Facebook data or leverage the power of location pings to track users whereabouts? Facebook AI research team was apparently committed to “advancing the field of machine intelligence and creating new technologies to give people better ways to communicate.” [1] Similarly, CEO Yiming reassuringly stated, “As AI becomes an increasingly integral part of our society, ByteDance believes that we – and our industry peers – have a duty to ensure that we understand and can anticipate the social impact of these new technologies, and manage this impact responsibly.” (December 1, 2017)
The Choice:
Viewer beware. No matter what the actual or perceived danger of TikTok is, this unfolding drama highlights the critical need for continued discussion in the area of ethics in artificial intelligence. “We need to do a much better job at explaining how our algorithms work.” says Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter. AI may have the potential to analyze and articulate our needs better than ourselves. As this technology builds in sophistication, where will it lead society? Shall we trust the big tech executives to guide the formation of youthful minds? It seems the masses have chosen to do just that. For better or for worse TikTok has become the definitive molder of collective thought.
[1] Minh H. Vo, Anne Yang. ByteDance Beyond China: Leveraging Consumer Artificial Intelligence (AI) from Toutiao to Musical.ly and TikTok”
ChristyAna is a Digital Transformation Strategist and Co-Founder of ACT Ventures Consulting Group. An advocate for inclusion in STEM education, she is a board member of Wonder Design Lab. Originally based in Puerto Rico and South Korea she is launching a Virtual Startup Competition in the UK.