ByteDance lays off hundreds of TikTok employees in shift to AI content moderation

ByteDance's TikTok is laying off hundreds of employees, mainly in Malaysia, according to Reuters. The cuts come as the social network is increasingly turning to AI for content moderation. The cuts do not impact employees in the U.S.

Although TikTok did not provide the exact number, it said that less than 500 people were affected.

"We're making these changes as part of our ongoing efforts to further strengthen our global operating model for content moderation," a TikTok spokesperson told TechCrunch. "We expect to invest $2bn globally in trust and safety in 2024 alone and are continuing to improve the efficacy of our efforts, with 80% of violative content now removed by automated technologies."

TikTok currently uses both automated detection and human moderators to examine content shared on the social network, but is now leaning more towards automated tech.

The latest round of cuts at the social network follow a series of reductions conducted earlier this year. In April, the company cut over 250 jobs in Ireland, and in May reports indicated that it was laying off around 1,000 employees in its operations and marketing teams. In January, TikTok laid off 60 employees in sales and advertising.