TikTok is testing an AI likeness detection tool
TikTok is testing a new opt-in tool designed to help creators detect when their likeness has been reproduced using AI. The feature, first spotted by social media consultant Matt Navarra, allows enrolled creators to scan TikTok for AI-generated content that resembles them and submit reports directly to the platform. A TikTok US spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that the test is currently limited to "some" US creators.
To participate, creators must first verify their identity through Jumio, a third-party identity verification company. The process involves a real-time selfie scan and an ID document check. TikTok says it does not retain the ID documents or facial data after verification is complete, which may help ease some privacy concerns around submitting biometric information to a social platform.
The move comes as AI-generated video and image tools have made it increasingly easy to produce convincing depictions of real people without their consent. For public figures and working creators, this presents a practical problem - unauthorized AI likenesses can spread quickly and are difficult to address without dedicated platform infrastructure. A detection tool puts some of that control back in the hands of the people being depicted.
TikTok is not alone in building out this kind of protection. YouTube has been developing a similar likeness detection system and recently opened it up to all adult users on the platform. The fact that two of the largest short-form and long-form video platforms are now moving in this direction suggests that AI likeness detection is becoming a standard expectation rather than an optional extra - driven in part by creator pressure and a broader regulatory conversation around AI and digital identity.
