With its Symphony tool, TikTok is taking it one step further than AI avatars — now, you can create full sponcon starring an AI-generated influencer.
In a blog post, the platform explained that advertisers will be able to utilize tools such as ‘Image to Video,’ ‘Text to Video,’ and ‘Showcase Products.’
As the name implies, Image to Video works by adding an image of the item you want to advertise (such as a perfume bottle) and a text prompt for the accompanying video (the perfume bottle on the beach). This will then generate a 5-second, “TikTok-first clip,” that can be shared by advertisers.
Text To Video involves simply generating a 5-second clip based on a text prompt, like a woman wearing a selection of lipstick swatches on their arm.
Finally, Symphony Showcase Products involves generating an AI influencer to hold, demonstrate, or try on your product. For instance, you could create videos with an influencer modelling the clothes you want to advertise.
“We’re entering a new era of creativity, one where ideas move at the speed of culture, and where AI doesn’t replace imagination but rather accelerates it,” Andy Yang, Global Head of Creative and Brand Products, said in a statement.
“With TikTok Symphony, we’re empowering a global community of marketers, brands, and creators to tell stories that resonate, scale, and drive impact on TikTok. By blending cutting-edge technology with human creativity, we’re building a new creative standard, one that’s more accessible, more agile, and more inspiring than ever before.”
What Does This Mean For Creators?
Undoubtedly, these tools will be useful for advertisers, but for creators, they can be a cause for concern. The ability to generate videos eliminates creative roles such as filming and editing, while the Symphony Showcase Products feature could render brand deals with influencers obsolete. After all, if brands have the option of paying an influencer to model their items or making a video of an AI avatar doing it, they’re obviously going to choose the cheapest thing.
