TikTok is set to transform advertising with the introduction of AI-powered digital avatars that brands can use to promote their products in multiple languages. Announced on June 17, these new tools are part of an expansion to TikTok’s Symphony ad suite, featuring "stock avatars" and an innovative "AI dubbing" feature designed to help brands create and localize content more effectively.

These stock avatars are created from video footage of real paid actors, licensed for commercial use. Brands can select from a variety of AI-powered voices and accents to read out scripts, which are then dubbed onto the avatars. This technology allows the avatars to speak in multiple languages, with their mouth movements attempting to mimic the language spoken. TikTok’s demonstration showed the AI’s capability to generate scripts and dub over actors’ voices in ten languages and dialects, including English, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean. The tool detects the input language and translates it into the target language, broadening the reach and accessibility of the ads.

The AI avatars, along with the translation and dubbing features, are still in their beta versions and currently available to a limited number of users via a waitlist. These features are part of TikTok's broader AI-backed ad suite introduced earlier this year, which also includes a "virtual assistant" that scans the platform for trends and generates content ideas and scripts.

In addition to stock avatars, TikTok is testing "custom avatars" that replicate the likenesses of content creators and brand spokespeople. These custom avatars also possess the same multilingual capabilities as the stock avatars, further enhancing the personalization and localization of brand messaging. TikTok is collaborating with its creator community to refine these custom avatars during the testing phase.

For transparency, TikTok will label videos created with its AI tools as AI-generated. A demonstration video showed that such content includes a small label in the corner indicating its AI origin. Despite the advanced technology, these AI clones are not flawless; the demonstration revealed some mismatches between mouth movements and spoken words, a phenomenon known as the "uncanny valley."

TikTok’s venture into AI avatars follows similar initiatives by other social media giants. For instance, Meta introduced an AI chatbot in September, featuring avatars of celebrities like Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, and former FTX promoter Tom Brady. These AI bots manage Facebook and Instagram accounts, demonstrating the increasing integration of AI in digital marketing and social media.

As TikTok continues to develop and refine these AI tools, the advertising landscape on the platform could undergo significant changes. Brands will be able to create more engaging and localized content, reaching a broader audience with greater efficiency. This move underscores TikTok's commitment to leveraging AI technology to enhance user engagement and advertising effectiveness.