ByteDance-owned TikTok has dismissed hundreds of employees globally, including approximately 500 in Malaysia, as it transitions to AI-powered content moderation.
The company emailed the affected employees about the layoffs, marking a significant step in optimizing TikTok’s worldwide moderation operations.
A spokesperson for TikTok explained that this move aims to enhance the efficiency of content moderation, which now employs a blend of AI and human oversight.
TikTok has allocated $2 billion worldwide to trust and safety initiatives, with AI now handling 80% of harmful content removal.
The shift towards AI has been accelerating as the technology proves increasingly capable of identifying and addressing violations like nudity and violence, gradually diminishing the need for human moderators. These individuals have contended with challenging working conditions, including low pay and exposure to distressing content.
While AI takes on a larger role, human reviewers remain integral to the process, especially in handling appeals against flagged content.
These layoffs coincide with heightened regulatory scrutiny, particularly in Malaysia, where the government demands better content moderation from social media companies to tackle cyber offenses.
In the US, TikTok faces legal challenges, accusing the platform of negatively affecting teenagers’ mental health with its addictive features.
This pivot to AI moderation is part of a broader trend within the tech industry towards automation, which aims to boost efficiency and cut costs while reshaping the workforce.
