Hey there! Guess what? TikTok is joining the AI chatbot trend with its very own bot called “Tako.” This little bot is currently undergoing limited testing in select markets and can be found on the right-hand side of the TikTok interface, just above your profile and other buttons. It’s all about making your TikTok experience even better!

So, what can Tako do for you? Well, imagine you’re watching a video about King Charles’ coronation. Tako might pop up and suggest that you ask, “What’s the significance of King Charles III’s coronation?” Pretty cool, right? Tako can also help you find new content by giving you recommendations.

Let’s say you’re in the mood for funny pet videos; you can simply ask Tako to suggest some for you. In response, Tako will provide a list of results, including the video’s name, author, subject, and even links to other suggested videos. Just click on the thumbnail, and off you go to the content you want to see!

The app intelligence firm Watchful.ai actually discovered this AI chatbot in action, and TikTok has confirmed that the tests are now live. According to a TikTok spokesperson, they’re always on the lookout for new ways to enhance the TikTok experience and are thrilled to be at the forefront of innovation. They’re also testing these features in select markets and are eager to learn from the community to create a safe and inspiring platform that entertains and drives culture.

But hold on, here’s the thing: the bot isn’t currently available to the public in the U.S. It’s being tested in other global markets, including a limited test in the Philippines. So TikTok wants to make sure they get everything right before a wider release.

By the way, TikTok wants to keep things safe for everyone so that the bot won’t be appearing on minors’ accounts. Safety first, always!

Tako’s still in Experimental Stage

Behind the scenes, TikTok is working with an external AI provider that they’ve customized to meet their needs. They want to give you the best experience possible, but they want to make it clear that Tako is still an “experimental” feature. So, the feedback you get from Tako may not always be true or accurate. That’s the case with most modern AI chatbots, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s AI.

TikTok wants to emphasize that Tako isn’t here to give you medical, legal, or financial advice. They want you to seek help from professionals in those areas when you need it. Safety is a big concern for TikTok, so they review all Tako conversations to ensure everything is okay and to “enhance your experience.” It’s important to note that AI chatbots often log customer interactions to improve their performance, but that does raise privacy concerns. Unfortunately, it means that the AI conversations aren’t deleted after the chats end, which could pose some risks.

But don’t worry! TikTok is taking steps to address these privacy concerns. They allow users to manually delete their chats, just like Snap does with its My AI chatbot companion in the Snapchat app. TikTok is making sure you have control over your conversations.

As for data retention and privacy policies, it’s still unclear if Tako logs any personal information associated with your account. We don’t know the specifics yet, but we hope TikTok takes privacy seriously.

Tackling Security Risks of Tako

You might be wondering why consumers would even want an AI chatbot on TikTok. Well, TikTok believes that Tako can do more than answer questions about a video. It could become a whole new way for users to discover content on the app, going beyond simply typing into a search box. That’s pretty exciting stuff!

If TikTok’s tests are successful and the chatbot is rolled out to the public, it could pose a threat to Google. After all, Google has noticed that Gen Z users are turning to TikTok and Instagram as their first search destinations for specific topics. Moreover, Google plans to introduce a conversational experience in its search function. However, if TikTok introduces its own AI chatbot within the app, younger users might choose to skip Google altogether.

So, stay tuned for more updates on Tako and its journey to becoming your helpful chat companion on TikTok. Who knows what exciting features and discoveries are waiting for you?