TikTok slashes hundreds of human jobs and moves to AI

TikTok, the absurdly popular social media platform owned by China’s ByteDance, has announced the layoff of hundreds of employees worldwide – including a significant number in Malaysia.

The company stated that this decision is part of its shift towards using more artificial intelligence (AI) tools in content moderation, with a focus on improving efficiency in its operations.

Well, is it okay if we start worrying about AI now, or should we wait a bit more?

Sources initially reported to Reuters that over 700 jobs were cut in Malaysia, but TikTok later clarified that the number was less than 500.

The affected employees, many of whom worked in content moderation, were informed via email of their dismissal on Wednesday.

These layoffs are part of a broader plan to streamline TikTok’s content moderation process globally, and similar retrenchments may occur in the near future as the company consolidates its regional operations.

TikTok currently uses a combination of AI technology and human moderators to oversee the vast amount of content posted on the platform.

In a statement, a TikTok spokesperson said that the restructuring was necessary to strengthen the company’s global operating model for content moderation.

The company also revealed plans to invest $2 billion in trust and safety initiatives globally this year, with a large portion of content moderation tasks already being automated. According to TikTok, 80% of harmful or violating content is now being removed through AI-based technologies.

These layoffs come at a time when global tech firms, including TikTok, are under increasing regulatory pressure in Malaysia. The government recently asked social media platforms to apply for an operating license by January to address the rising concern over cyber-related offenses.

Not so long ago, Malaysia experienced a spike in harmful online content, and authorities have called on companies like TikTok to step up their monitoring efforts.

In the first half of 2023, both TikTok and Meta saw a record number of content restriction requests from the Malaysian government, according to reports. The government requested the removal or restriction of numerous posts and accounts, citing violations related to sensitive topics such as race, religion, and royalty.

Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, restricted around 3,100 pages and posts – six times more than in the previous six months – marking the highest figure since it began tracking such data in 2017. TikTok reported receiving 340 removal requests, leading to the restriction or deletion of 815 posts and accounts, also the highest since it started recording requests in 2019.

The number of TikTok restrictions in Malaysia has tripled compared to the latter half of 2022, with the country leading Southeast Asia in the volume of requests to restrict content on the platform.