TikTok AI tool
The test conducted on TikTok aims to automatically recognize products in videos and provide links for purchase. After launching the TikTok Shop in the United States, the company is looking for ways to expand the inclusion of e-commerce links in various videos.
TikTok Shop links could become more frequent on the social media app. According to Bloomberg reports, the company is trialling a new feature that automatically identifies products in the platform's videos and then provides a link to “search for similar items in the TikTok store.”
Business Insider had already identified a similar test last November, and videos containing images of a “Search for similar items in the TikTok Store” button were also found in September and October of the previous year. TikTok had previously confirmed that it was testing this feature with a small group of users in the United States and the United Kingdom. The user who added a product link to the video was not informed that this link would be used to promote the TikTok store.
These latest reports about the beta feature come just months after the launch of TikTok Shop in the US, which allowed creators to include links to products in their videos. Currently, Bloomberg highlights that influencers and brands need TikTok's approval to tag products in videos.
However, the new feature has the ability to expand product links to all videos, representing a significant expansion in TikTok's e-commerce capabilities. This comes as the platform aims to reach $17.5 billion in sales in the United States by 2024.
This is not the first time companies have used technology to automatically recognize products and provide links to purchase them. For example, competitor Pinterest has a shopping recommendations feature that invites users to “see similar products” in certain posts.
Shopping is also an important use case for Google Lens, and the company's latest feature, Research circle
which helps people identify things, such as fashion accessories, and provides links to purchase.
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