TikTok is currently conducting tests on an AI chatbot called Tako, which has the ability to recommend videos based on user requests, according to some screenshots leaked on the net.
If TikTok decides to roll out this chatbot widely, it could have a significant impact on search and navigation within the app, according to Daniel Buchuk of Watchful Technologies, a firm that specializes in spotting such upcoming changes for Fortune 500 companies .
Tako will be able to answer and recommend videos
The screenshots show Tako positioned above the TikTok profile icon, to the right of a video. Tapping the chatbot opens a chat screen where he seems capable of answer a wide range of questions. It is not clear as a model of artificial intelligence TikTok is using to feed Tako.
Tako will provide tips to help users to start a conversation with the bot. According to Buchuk, if a user watches food videos and asks for a recipe, they will receive TikTok videos related to the recipe, or if they ask for recommendations on art exhibitions in Paris, they will receive videos along with a list of suggestions in the response. One of the prompts suggested by Tako in one of the screenshots reads: “What is the meaning of the coronation of King Charles III?”
A TikTok spokesperson named Zachary Kizer called the chatbot "a limited experiment" and said it wasn't currently available to users in North America or Europe. In a tweet, the company specified that the test is currently underway only in the Philippines.
1/ We're in the early stages of exploring chatbot tools with a limited test of Tako with select users in the Philippines. Tako is an AI-powered tool to help with search and discovery on TikTok.
- TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) May 25, 2023
“We are constantly investigating new technologies that add value to our community,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “In select markets, we're testing new ways to improve 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 fosters culture.”
As attorney Josh Gerben noted, TikTok recently filed an application for trademark registration for the name “Tako” related to a "chatbot software", which suggests that the company is preparing for a large-scale release. It wouldn't be the first social media platform to experiment with chatbots in recent months: for example, in April Snapchat made its chatbot called "My AI" available to everyone for free, while Mark Zuckerberg he recently stated to Meta investors its intention to “introduce artificial intelligence agents to billions of people”.
