Meta, Google, and TikTok just filed federal lawsuits to kill California's AB 1709 before it kicks in on Jan. 1, 2027. The law bans autoplay and personalized algorithmic feeds for users under 16, threatening fines up to $50K per affected child. The platforms argue the rule violates the First Amendment, setting up a major legal showdown over how far states can go in regulating algorithm-driven content.
TikTok just rolled out a batch of AI commerce tools, headlined by a conversational Shopping Assistant agent and a one-click Buy Direct checkout. The platform also opened up its Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector to Claude, Perplexity, and Snowflake, allowing advertisers to run campaign workflows through external AI agents.
Universal Music Group and TikTok just renewed their licensing deal with a pledge to boot unauthorized AI-generated music off the platform and improve artist attribution. It marks a truce after their bitter 2024 dispute saw UMG yank its entire catalog over AI and copyright concerns. The pact could set the blueprint for how platforms manage AI IP going forward.
TikTok just launched its Ads MCP Server, letting marketers plug AI agents directly into its advertising platform to plan, launch, and optimize campaigns. The server automates tedious tasks like setting creatives, tweaking bids, and shifting budgets without human dashboard work. Following similar moves by Google and Meta, advertising operations are rapidly turning fully agentic.
ByteDance just announced Seedance 2.0, its latest AI video generation model currently in beta for select Jimeng AI users. The model produces significantly more lifelike motion, eliminating much of that awkward "underwater floating" look seen in earlier generators. It is widely expected to head to TikTok eventually, putting serious pressure on Meta and X.
OpenAI, TikTok, Adobe, and seven other companies just committed to new voluntary guidelines from the Partnership on AI to make synthetic media more transparent. Signatories agreed to implement AI disclaimers, watermarking, and metadata tracking to warn users about synthetic content. While it sets an industry baseline, critics warn voluntary pledges won't stop bad actors without hard mandates.
TikTok just unveiled new controls that let users adjust how much AI-generated content pops up in their For You feeds. It is also testing robust invisible watermarks to stop AI labels from being stripped during re-uploads, alongside launching a $2M educational fund for responsible AI literacy.
TikTok just introduced a new batch of safety features, including US-piloted Footnotes for crowdsourced fact-checking and tighter parental notifications. For creators, it rolled out Creator Care Mode, which uses AI to learn disliked comments and filter them out automatically.
TikTok just expanded its Symphony AI suite with text-to-video and image-to-video tools that turn static product shots into five-second branded clips. Instead of keeping the tech locked inside its own app, TikTok is integrating the features directly into Adobe Express and WPP Open, giving agency creatives an automated shortcut for ad production.
TikTok just introduced AI-powered Smart Keyword Filters to expand content controls on the For You feed. The tool uses AI to automatically detect and block synonyms and related phrases alongside user-submitted words. TikTok also plans to double the keyword limit to 200 and add bulk input options in the coming months.
TikTok just launched AI Alive, its first image-to-video feature that turns static photos into animated clips directly inside TikTok Stories. Creators can animate sunsets or selfies with motion and ambient effects, while every creation undergoes safety screening and includes C2PA metadata alongside an AI label.
Perplexity just proposed an ambitious bid to acquire TikTok, promising to rebuild its recommendation system from scratch in US data centers and make the code open-source. The plan also includes adding AI search and video citations. Why it matters: With TikTok valued at up to $50B, the pitch faces massive financial hurdles and may simply be another wild PR stunt.
A supergroup of 1,000 musicians just dropped a silent album called 'Is This What We Want?' to protest British copyright proposals. The planned rules would allow tech firms to scrape creators' work for AI training unless artists proactively opt out. The release features ambient room noise from empty studios, with 12 track titles spelling out a warning against legalizing data theft.
Perplexity AI just submitted an official bid to ByteDance to merge its AI search engine with TikTok's U.S. operations and new capital partners. The proposed deal would let ByteDance's existing investors keep their stakes while funneling short-form video into Perplexity's engine. Sources value the potential deal well north of $50 billion.
TikTok just plugged Getty Images’ licensed library into its Symphony Creative Studio, which is officially rolling out to all advertisers today. Brands can generate finished video ads with realistic AI avatars and multi-language dubbing from a simple product prompt, backed by commercially safe imagery.
TikTok just unveiled Symphony Digital Avatars and AI Dubbing to supercharge marketing content across borders. The tool offers pre-built commercial avatars speaking over 30 languages, custom avatars modeled on real creators, and automatic dubbing into 10+ languages. Why it matters: Brands and creators can now scale localized video campaigns worldwide without reshooting footage.
TikTok just launched Direct Post, letting creators publish videos directly from editing tools like Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Express, and CapCut. Editors can set captions and audience privacy without leaving their workspace. Why it matters: It cuts out the tedious export-and-upload step, smoothing out AI-assisted video workflows.
TikTok just launched a new toolset that lets creators label posts made or enhanced by AI. Disclosures are now mandatory for realistic synthetic media, existing in-app filters are being renamed to include "AI," and the company is already cooking up an algorithm to detect and label AI posts automatically.
Ghostwriter, the anonymous creator behind the viral AI Drake track, just dropped a new song mimicking Travis Scott and 21 Savage while submitting his previous AI hit for Grammy consideration. Recording Academy leadership confirmed the track is creatively eligible because a human wrote it, though commercial distribution hurdles remain. The music industry can no longer dodge the AI voice controversy.
TikTok just launched Script Generator, a free tool inside TikTok Creative Center that whips up video ad scripts in seconds. Marketers plug in product details and target duration to get scene-by-scene hooks and audio cues, though TikTok cautions that humans should still verify the copy before running campaigns.
