TikTok launches more AI tools for advertisers

TikTok is bringing more generative AI features to its growing suite of tools for advertisers.

On Monday, the social media app introduced image-to-video and text-to-video support as well as a feature called Showcase Products, which lets digital avatars show or wear products.

TikTok's AI-generated ad tools are part of a larger trend seen across the industry that leverages generative AI's ability to quickly and easily pull together video ads at minimal cost. This is thanks to the widespread availability and advancement of AI models that can generate images, text, audio, and video from a simple prompt. Meta is also leaning heavily into genAI for advertising and reportedly plans to automate all ad creation with AI by 2026. And if you watched the NBA finals last week, you may have seen the unhinged AI video ad for Kalshi, which was made using Google's Veo 3.

TikTok's new features are part of TikTok Symphony, the existing collection of AI tools for advertisers. Previously, TikTok introduced AI-generated avatars, a virtual assistant for identifying trends and creating scripts, and AI voice dubbing. With image and text to video, advertisers can now upload an image or write a text prompt and Symphony will turn it into a video clip featuring these AI avatars.

The Showcase Products feature builds on the existing avatar feature, so that they can now hold up a product, model an item of clothing, or hold up a phone showcasing an app. This feature, plus image and text-to-video support, will be available to advertisers globally in the coming weeks in the TikTok Symphony Creative Studio. So, prepare to see a lot more AI-generated ads on TikTok very soon.