TikTok Replaces UK Content Moderators with AI: A Risky Move?
TikTok, owned by the Chinese group ByteDance, has announced a reorganization of its content moderation service in the United Kingdom. This move, revealed on Friday, August 22nd, is part of a global plan to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in content moderation.
Instead of a UK-based moderation team, AI will now analyze English-language videos to automatically determine if they comply with the platform’s rules, according to a company spokesperson speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP). TikTok claims its AI technology is effective, stating that 85% of content removed for violating its rules is done so automatically.
“This decision will endanger millions of British users”
However, not everyone is convinced. John Chadfield, the national officer for the technology sector at the British trade union CWU, believes this figure is insufficient. He told AFP that TikTok employees have long been raising concerns about the consequences of these AI moderators, which he describes as “hastily developed and still immature.” He argues that “this decision will endanger millions of British users” by exposing them to inappropriate content.
Human Oversight Still Crucial
Professional moderators interviewed by Bloomberg argue that AI still struggles to detect certain types of undesirable content, particularly “abuse and cruelty.” Lloyd Richardson, director of technology at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, told the agency, “If you start using AI to reduce moderation staff, it will reduce safety” on social networks. He emphasized, “You need human beings.”
Zhanerke Kadenova, a moderator based in Kazakhstan, told Bloomberg, “You can’t trust AI suggestions… most of the time, they don’t match.”
While most observers agree that human moderation is more effective, it poses significant risks to the mental health of employees. Moderators are exposed to the worst content imaginable, including graphic violence, filmed murders, and child pornography.
TikTok maintains that some moderation functions will remain in the UK. Moderators whose positions are being eliminated will be given priority for internal job openings or reassigned to other European sites or external providers.
A Global Trend
This announcement is part of a broader trend of replacing human moderators with AI. In September 2024, TikTok laid off 300 moderators in the Netherlands. In October, the company announced it was eliminating 500 more in Malaysia. In Germany, some employees are striking against the dismissal of 150 moderators.
Regarding moderation in France, a TikTok representative, speaking at a hearing at the National Assembly on July 2nd, estimated that there were 509 French-speaking moderators responsible for covering Europe.
Source: Le Monde with AFP and Bloomberg
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