Whenever we’ve talked about artificial intelligences like ChatGPT, Bing, or Bard, and their integration into platforms and social networks like Discord, Slack, or Snapchat, there’s been a big elephant in the room: What about TikTok? How is it possible that the most downloaded and used app in the world doesn’t already have its own AI?
Well, that big question we all had (because we all had it, right?) has finally been answered. According to The Verge, TikTok is currently testing an AI chatbot called “Tako” (I declare myself a fan of the name) that would recommend videos on the platform based on user requests.
In the screenshots obtained by The Verge through Daniel Buchuk from Watchful Technologies, we can see the Tako icon overlaying the user’s profile picture in the right-hand column of the app. Upon tapping on it, a chat window opens where the AI can assist with various queries related to TikTok videos.
Tako will also provide us with conversation starters based on the videos we are currently watching. According to Buchuk, “if I’m watching food videos and I ask for a recipe, I’ll get TikTok videos related to the recipe, or if I ask for good art exhibitions in Paris, it will show me videos along with a list of suggestions in the response.”
Currently, the chatbot is only being tested in a very limited capacity in the Philippines, so users in Europe and the United States will have to wait a bit to see its functions. At the moment, it is unknown which third-party AI (such as GPT-4) TikTok would be using to “bring to life” Tako.
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