TikTok Lays Off Hundreds Amid Shift to AI-Powered Content Moderation

TikTok is undergoing significant restructuring due to its shift towards AI-powered content moderation. The company plans to lay off hundreds of employees worldwide, primarily from its content moderation teams. Initially, reports suggested that 700 employees in Malaysia would be affected, but TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, later clarified that the number is closer to 500 .

This move is part of TikTok’s efforts to strengthen its global operating model and improve content moderation. The company aims to remove 80% of illegal content using automated technology and will invest $2 billion in trust and safety initiatives this year

Reasons Behind the Layoffs:

• Increased Regulatory Pressure: TikTok faces growing regulatory pressure in Malaysia, where the government has urged social media platforms to step up monitoring to combat cybercrime ¹ ².
• Shift to AI-Powered Moderation: The company’s decision to rely more on AI for content moderation has made some roles redundant ¹ ².
• Global Restructuring: TikTok plans to merge offices in some regions, leading to additional job cuts starting next month ¹ ².

Impact on Employees:

• Employees affected by the layoffs have been notified via email
• Most of those laid off were part of the content moderation operation .

These changes reflect TikTok’s efforts to address concerns around harmful content and adapt to evolving regulatory require