Fake AI-generated ads are on the rise, and TikTok is helping to create them

Despite the company's own policies to combat deception and misinformation, quickly made, AI-generated adverts promoting fake health products remain rampant on TikTok

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has invested heavily in AI. Picture: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In the era of digitalisation, advertising has become the lifeblood of the world’s largest social media giants. From personalised product campaigns to political messaging, these adverts fuel online platforms used by billions and generate the vast majority of revenues for companies like Meta, X, YouTube and, importantly, TikTok.

According to documents filed to Ireland’s Company Registration Office (CRO) from August this year, TikTok Technology Ltd, the social media giant’s Irish arm, said the company’s business model relied heavily on a combination of advertising revenue, value-added services in the platform and merchandise sales.