2.3 Cultivating trust in the digital age: a holistic approach to artificial intelligence and literacy TikTok’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and digital literacy is a multi-pronged effort aimed at empowering creators to safely and responsibly express themselves using AI, supporting viewers with important context around AI-generated content (AIGC) and promoting digital literacy. This comprehensive approach entails several components, including AIGC labels, external partnerships, countering harmful misinformation and ensuring that users have access to the rules, tools and skills they need to have a trustworthy experience on TikTok and beyond. Identification TikTok’s AI and digital literacy interventions stemmed from their goal of creating a welcoming, safe and trustworthy environment. The interventions specifically seek to tackle harms relating to violation of dignity, invasion of privacy and deception and manipulation.12 While recognizing that AI offers vast creative potential, it is also important to acknowledge that it can confuse or mislead viewers if they are unaware that content is AI-generated. Without proper labelling, AIGC could more easily spread misleading information or disinformation, making it more pervasive and effective in deceiving users. However, even with the labelling of AIGC or edited media, it still may be harmful. Another driving factor was the threat posed by deceptive actors using AIGC to target online platforms during elections. This is particularly concerning in the context of covert influence operations, where networks of accounts collaborate to mislead users and manipulate platform algorithms. Such actors may attempt to strategically influence public discourse, undermine election results, sway opinions on armed conflicts or shape discussions on social issues. These inauthentic behaviours pose a significant risk to the integrity of online platforms and public debate. However, even with labelled content and a reduced prevalence of misinformation, it remains essential for users to understand what the labels mean and how to interpret them. General media literacy education is also crucial for cultivating a safer and more trustworthy platform. Design TikTok’s approach to AI and digital literacy entails a mix of policy-related, technical and educational interventions. Some of these efforts predate the recent rise of generative AI and have evolved accordingly, while others, such as AI content labels, have been directly responsive to this changing digital landscape. The countering-misinformation strategy involved developing policies that strictly prohibit harmful, misleading AIGC, whether labelled or not. This approach includes creating more proactive AIGC detection models and consulting with experts and industry peers to design effective solutions. TikTok tested methods for automatically labelling AIGC and provided creators with tools to label content that has been fully generated or significantly altered by AI. Specifically, in dealing with elections, TikTok The Intervention Journey: A Roadmap to Effective Digital Safety Measures 18

The Intervention Journey A Roadmap to Effective Digital Safety Measures 2025