Photo Credit: TikTok

TikTok is testing an opt-in tool that scans for AI likenesses and enables creators to report them to the company. Initial tests are limited to a few US-based creators.

TikTok has started testing an opt-in function that scans for AI-generated likenesses and enables creators to report them to the company. First spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, these tests are currently limited to “some” creators in the U.S., according to TikTok U.S. spokesperson Zachary Kizer in a statement to The Verge.

Creators who want to try the tool and are part of the testing pool must first verify their identity with a company called Jumio. The process involves a real-time selfie scan and an ID check. According to Kizer, “TikTok does not retain ID documents, and facial information is used only for likeness matching and to help identify potential unauthorized uses of a creator’s likeness.”

Once verified, TikTok’s tool will scan for AI-generated content that potentially uses the creator’s likeness, and the creator can review possible hits and report any unauthorized content or accounts.

While astute users might raise their eyebrows over the fact that this test is limited to TikTok U.S.—which is headed by a coalition of big tech companies and noted Trump allies—TikTok isn’t the only social media platform ramping up its deepfake detection processes. YouTube recently rolled out its own face-scanning AI tool, which was initially only available to certain users, such as journalists and politicians.

The timing for such tools is apt, given the proliferation of concerning AI-assisted deepfakes on social media. On Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, the AI chatbot Grok was being used to generate nonconsensual deepfakes digitally undressing women and children.

In particular, deepfake nudes of celebrities like Taylor Swift caused a stir and led to the company equipping Grok with some guardrails—but this hasn’t been enough to satisfy privacy watchdogs in the European Union.

Last week, Musk’s AI startup xAI sued a South Carolina man who was arrested earlier this year on charges of sexually exploiting minors. According to xAI’s filing, the man misused Grok to create child sexual abuse material, violating the company’s terms of service. It’s a move clearly designed to distance the company from any potential liability associated with the misuse of its AI tools.