Marketing

Major social platforms tighten rules on AI-generated content

Seven of the world’s largest social media platforms have introduced measures to limit, label, or demote content generated entirely by artificial intelligence, according to Billo.

The platforms – Google, LinkedIn, Meta, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube – are not acting in unison. Still, all claim to begin to prioritise content with human input over content created entirely by AI.

Each has adopted its own approach, broadly falling into three categories: Demoting AI-generated content, requiring disclosure, or relying on community moderation.

Donatas Smailys, CEO of Billo, a user-generated content marketplace connecting brands with creators, said the shift is forcing brands to rethink how they produce content at scale.

“Everyone chased AI because it made video almost free to produce. What they missed is that it raised the cost of getting that video seen, as well as the cost of getting it wrong,” Smailys said.

Platforms demoting AI-generated content:

• LinkedIn has introduced AI-content detection tools that reduce inauthentic posts in recommendations and allow users to report content that appears to be AI-generated. It has also replaced its AI post-writing feature with a proofreading tool designed to preserve the user’s voice.
• Snapchat no longer recommends videos created entirely with AI on Spotlight, although content enhanced using Snapchat’s AI tools remains eligible if it is clearly labelled.
• YouTube enforces its “inauthentic content” policy by removing monetisation from mass-produced AI content with little or no original creative input, while continuing to allow AI-assisted content.

Platforms requiring disclosure:

• TikTok requires labels on AI-generated images, videos, and audio depicting realistic people or scenes, including in advertising and branded content. AI-assisted text, such as captions and hashtags, is exempt.
• Meta automatically labels AI-generated or AI-edited advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Failure to disclose AI-generated content can result in ad rejection or account penalties.
• Google has introduced a “How this ad was made” panel across Search, YouTube, and Discover to provide greater transparency around AI-generated advertising.

Platform relying on community moderation:

• Reddit does not have a platform-wide AI policy. Instead, individual subreddit moderators decide how AI-generated content is managed within their communities.

“What platforms are actually cracking down on are ads made entirely by AI, without a single person touching the process, especially the ones running an AI-generated performer instead of a real one,” Smailys added.

“It’s different if you use AI to brainstorm, edit, write captions, or speed up the boring parts of production. What matters most is that a real person is on camera.”

• Further reading: Why the rise of AI shopping is forcing merchants to protect loyalty.

This story was originally published on Inside Small Business.