TikTok’s New AI Slider: How to Reduce AI Content in Your Feed

Make Your Feed Human Again: The End of AI Clutter

Illustration: Tech Bird

If your For You Page (FYP) feels cluttered with excessive AI-generated content and increasingly less human, you are not alone. Between uncanny AI avatars and synthetic voiceovers, finding authentic, organic content on TikTok is becoming a genuine challenge. We have all experienced the frustration: you watch one AI-generated video, and suddenly the algorithm floods your feed with identical, synthetic clips.

But here is the good news: TikTok has quietly introduced a new AI content slider feature that allows you to reduce AI content simply by adjusting a setting. This tool gives users granular control over how much generative AI material appears in their feed, moving away from a purely black-box algorithm toward user-defined curation.

Here is how the TikTok Manage Topics feature works, the C2PA technology powering it, and the limitations you need to know about.

The "Manage Topics" Update: Controlling Your Feed

Today, the short-form video giant announced this update via its official blog, classifying the feature under “AI-generated content” within its settings. This is not the blunt "block" button you might be thinking of; rather, it is a fine-tuning tool for controlling the density of synthetic media on your TikTok feed.

The interesting fact about the design of this feature is that it treats AI not just as a technology, but as a content vertical—similar to "Fitness," "Dance," or "Current Affairs." This control allows for nuance. You aren't necessarily banning AI entirely; you are signaling a preference to the algorithm. The slider provides levels of adjustment (typically allowing you to select "Show less"), helping you signal that you want to prioritize human-created content.

We have all suffered from this fatigue. While AI video tools can be healthy when used creatively, they become problematic when misleading.

I recently experienced this firsthand while scrolling through my feed. I came across what looked like a highlight reel from a recent cricket match. The visual scenario was dramatic—a controversial run-out that I hadn't heard about in the news. It wasn't until I listened closely to the commentary that I realized something was off; the voiceover was a completely synthetic, AI-generated clone of a famous commentator, and the video itself was a "cut and edited" deepfake designed to manufacture a controversy that never happened. It was completely misleading. 

This is exactly where the new AI Slider will be a game-changer for users like us who want to avoid falling for these synthetic traps.

How to Reduce AI Content on TikTok (Step-by-Step)

Toggle the new AI-generated content slider to customize your feed. Image: TikTok

The burning question is: where do you find this setting to lower the frequency of AI videos?

Note: This feature is rolling out globally. If you do not see it yet, ensure your app is updated to the latest version (2025 patches).

1. Go to your Profile and tap the menu (three lines) in the top right corner.
2. Select Settings and privacy.
3. Navigate to Content preferences.
4. Look for the Manage topics section.
5. Locate the AI-generated content slider and adjust it to "Less" to clean up your feed density.

The "Invisible" Tech: C2PA and Watermarking

The effectiveness of this slider hinges on one critical factor: identification. For TikTok to filter AI content, it must first successfully recognize it. This is where the update gets technical and interesting.

TikTok cannot simply "watch" a video to see if it looks fake. Instead, it relies on metadata and authentication standards. The platform is expanding its integration of C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) Content Credentials.

How Detection Works:

• Internal Tools: Content created using TikTok’s native AI effects (like AI Editor Pro) is automatically tagged at the source.
  
  
• Invisible Watermarks: TikTok is implementing “invisible watermarking” techniques. Unlike the visible "shaking logo" watermark you see when downloading a video, these are embedded digital signatures that persist even if a user tries to crop or edit the video.
  
  
• External Uploads: The system scans for C2PA metadata in videos uploaded from third-party platforms (like Adobe Firefly or OpenAI’s Sora) that support the standard.

The Limitations: Why Your Feed Won't Be 100% "Human"

While this is a massive step forward for transparency, it is not a silver bullet. Users expecting a completely AI-free experience may be disappointed due to the "analog loophole."

If a user generates a video using an AI tool that does not use C2PA standards, or if they use screen-recording software to capture an AI video (stripping the metadata), TikTok’s detection algorithms effectively become blind. The slider can only filter what the system has successfully flagged. It remains unclear if TikTok will implement further image-recognition restrictions to close this gap.

The Trust Gap and Future of Moderation

This update places the burden of labeling on a mix of honest user disclosure and technical metadata. Bad actors specifically trying to pass off deepfakes as reality will likely find workarounds to bypass the invisible watermarks.

Why This Matters Now

This move signals a huge shift in social media governance. Platforms are under increasing pressure from global regulators (such as the EU AI Act) to label synthetic content. However, by giving the user the control slider, TikTok is democratizing the moderation process.

Instead of the platform making a unilateral decision that "AI is bad," they are acknowledging that some users enjoy AI entertainment, while others find it intrusive. It turns the feed into a collaborative effort between the user's stated preferences and the algorithm's predictions. We are eager to see if other short-form video giants like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels will follow suit with similar controls.

This new feature are rolling out to TikTok over the coming weeks. Share your thoughts in the comments: will you be turning the AI slider down?

img2: TikTok