Accelerating AI to Replace Human Labor: TikTok in the UK May Lay Off Hundreds

Despite the recent implementation of stricter cybersecurity regulations in the UK to curb the spread of harmful content on social platforms, TikTok has announced that hundreds of content moderation positions in the UK may be at risk of being cut.

According to reports from AFP and The Guardian, on August 22, TikTok stated that as part of a global restructuring plan, hundreds of positions within its "Trust and Safety" team in the UK, South Asia, and Southeast Asia may be affected. These roles will be transferred to offices in other European countries and third-party service providers, although some "Trust and Safety" team positions will continue to remain in the UK.

This move is one of TikTok's broader initiatives to shift toward relying more on artificial intelligence for content moderation. The platform states that over 85% of the removed违规 content is now identified and removed through automated systems. The layoffs come as the UK has just introduced new cybersecurity laws requiring companies to verify the age of users attempting to access potentially harmful content. Violations could result in fines of up to £18 million or 10% of global turnover.

John Chadfield of the Communication Workers Union said that replacing human content moderators with artificial intelligence could endanger the safety of millions of TikTok users. He said, "TikTok employees have repeatedly warned that replacing human moderation teams with hastily developed, immature AI tools will lead to serious consequences."

TikTok is owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance and currently employs over 2,500 people in the UK. In the past year, TikTok has continuously reduced its "Trust and Safety" team globally, usually replacing human labor with automation. In September last year, the company laid off all 300 content moderators in the Netherlands. In October, it announced that it would lay off approximately 500 reviewers in Malaysia to advance its AI transformation strategy. Just last week, TikTok employees in Germany went on strike over the issue of cuts in the "Trust and Safety" team.

However, at the same time, TikTok's business performance has been exceptionally strong. According to financial reports submitted to the UK Companies House (covering its operations in the UK and Europe) this week, TikTok's revenue reached $6.3 billion (approximately £4.7 billion) in 2024, an increase of 38% compared to the previous year, and its operating loss narrowed from $1.4 billion in 2023 to $485 million.

A TikTok spokesperson said, "We are continuing the restructuring plan we started last year to optimize our 'Trust and Safety' operations globally. We are improving the efficiency and response speed of this core function by concentrating related businesses in fewer regions and combining technological advancements."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841203510149130/

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