ByteDance’s TikTok cuts hundreds of jobs in AI shift

STORY: TikTok is laying off hundreds of employees from its global workforce.

The social media giant said Friday (October 11) it’s part of a shift towards a greater use of AI in content moderation.

Malaysia is particularly hard hit, as two sources told Reuters more than 700 jobs were slashed in the country.

Though ByteDance-owned TikTok later said fewer than 500 employees in Malaysia were affected.

The employees were mostly involved in the firm’s content moderation operations.

TikTok employs a mix of automated detection and human moderators to review content posted on the site.

A source said the tech firm also plans more cost reductions next month as it looks to consolidate some of its regional operations.

TIkTok said it expects to invest $2 billion globally in trust and safety this year, and will continue to improve efficiency.

It further added 80% of content violating guidelines was now removed by automated technologies.