TikTok is testing an AI chatbot called Taco

TikTok is testing an AI chatbot called Taco that can recommend videos based on what people ask, according to screenshots of the feature shared with it. ledge,

If TikTok releases it widely, the chatbot could “fundamentally transform search and navigation” in the app, according to Daniel Butchuk of Watchful Technologies, a firm that spots these kinds of upcoming app changes for Fortune 500 companies. .

In a screenshot of the test shared by Buchuk ledge, Tako is located above the TikTok profile icon to the right of a video. Tapping it opens a chat screen, where the bot appears to be able to answer a variety of questions. It’s unclear what AI model TikTok is using to power Taco.

Tako will display suggested prompts to help the user start a conversation with the bot. According to Buchuk, “If I am watching food videos and ask for recipes I will get related TikTok videos for recipes, or if I ask for fine art exhibitions in Paris it will come with a list of suggestions in the video The video will show the answer.” In one of the screenshots, a hint suggested by Tako says, “What is the significance of the coronation of King Charles III?”

Zachary Kiser, a spokesman for TikTok, called the chatbot “a limited experiment” and explained ledge that it is currently not available to users in North America or Europe. The company said in a tweet that the trial is only in the Philippines.

“We are always searching for new technologies that add value to our community,” he said in an emailed statement. “In select markets, we are testing new ways to empower discovery and discovery on TikTok, and we look forward to learning from our community as we continue to build a safe space that entertains, nurtures creativity inspires, and drives the culture.”

as seen by the advocate josh gerben, TikTok recently filed a trademark application for “chatbot software” called Taco, which suggests the company is gearing up for a wider release. It wouldn’t be the first social media app to jump on the chatbot bandwagon in recent months. In April, Snapchat made its My AI bot available to everyone for free, and Mark Zuckerberg recently told Meta Investors that he wants to “introduce AI agents to billions of people.”