TikTok side hustlers beware: AI is coming for your job
2026-07-20
Business Insider
The information displayed in the AIM should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its member countries.
Brands and TikTok are increasingly using generative AI to create synthetic influencer videos for e-commerce, leading to economic harm for human creators who rely on shoppable content. This shift raises concerns about deceptive advertising and job displacement among TikTok Shop side hustlers in the United States.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The event involves the use of generative AI systems to create synthetic influencer videos that are used in TikTok's e-commerce platform. This AI use is causing economic harm to human creators (harm to communities), enabling deceptive advertising that may violate legal requirements (breach of obligations under applicable law), and contributing to marketplace fraud (harm to communities). The harms are realized and ongoing, not merely potential. Hence, this qualifies as an AI Incident rather than a hazard or complementary information.[AI generated]