TikTok is testing a ChatGPT-like AI bot that will live inside its app and help users discover and search for content. The experiment is similar to that of Snap, whose “My AI” bot, which is powered by ChatGPT, launched last month.

TikTok’s tool, “Tako,” is currently being tested with select users in the Philippines. Tako appears on the right side of any video, located above other icons such as the “like” and “comment” buttons, as well as the user’s profile. It functions much like any other text-to-text AI, querying a user to input a question or begin a conversation. The bot will then attempt to respond with relevant information in a human-like way. 

The pilot was first noticed by app intelligence firm Watchful and confirmed this morning by TikTok in a Twitter thread.

TikTok is hoping Tako will be used as a means to facilitate content to the viewer. It can provide recommendations based on specific requests, such as “Show me cat videos,” as well as a user’s viewing history, according to Watchful. Having access to the user's history could give Tako a leg up over other AI bots given the strength of TikTok’s algorithm. 

That said, Tako is not built on any in-house AI technology but rather an undisclosed third-party provider. This means that, while TikTok has customized the underlying model, it does not own it like OpenAI owns ChatGPT. It is unclear how this will impact TikTok’s ability to improve Tako by continuing to train it on new data.

All conversations between Tako and a user will be reviewed by TikTok for safety purposes and to enhance user experience. This method poses privacy concerns, potentially adding fuel to the fire by which TikTok is already being consumed, but is currently one of the only ways that AI platforms are able to monitor for abuse. Some tools, such as ChatGPT (and by association My AI), allow users to turn off their chat history, thus disabling those conversations from being used in further training. However, they are still recorded on OpenAI and Snap’s servers for monitoring reasons.

TikTok will also allow users to manually delete their chat history, according to TechCrunch.

A screenshot captured by Watchful illustrates another way that Tako can be used: While watching a video of King Charles’ coronation, a user is shown asking Tako, “What is the significance of King Charles III’s coronation?” This ability to provide further context on videos could have a major impact on not only the way in which users engage with TikTok content but also how truth and misinformation are spread on the platform.

Separately, TikTok is testing a feature that will allow users to create in-app avatars via generative AI.

“We're always exploring new technologies that add value to our community,” a TikTok spokesperson told Ad Age in an emailed statement. “In select markets, we're testing new ways to power search and discovery on TikTok, and we look forward to learning from our community as we continue to create a safe place that entertains, inspires creativity, and drives culture.”