TikTok could soon have new ways for users to discover content. The company is currently in the “early stages.” An AI-powered chatbot called Tako will be able to recommend videos and answer questions about what users are watching.
First bot created tech crunchis currently being tested in the Philippines, TikTok said in a statement. “Tako utilizes a third-party chat assistant, designed to make it easy to find fun and inspiring content on TikTok,” the company said.
Despite being in the early stages of testing, TikTok appears to feature Tako quite prominently within the app. A shortcut to the Assistant can be found in the main right-hand menu alongside shortcuts for Bookmarks and Likes, according to. tech crunchI took a peek at its features.
It’s similar to how Snap pushed chatbots to the top of users’ chats within the app to make them stand out. But unlike My AI, TikTok appears to be positioning Tako as a way to discover new content and learn more about what’s being discussed in clips. The user “feels free to ask me anything and I will do my best to find what you are looking for,” the bot said in a screenshot of its chat interface.
Tako isn’t the only TikTok experimenting with generative AI. The company is also testing AI generation, but has not announced plans for wider deployment. However, it’s unclear just how serious TikTok is about the technology. In a statement, the company said it had “no plans at this time other than early testing” of Tako.
