On TikTok, many stories generated by artificial intelligence (AI) captivate young audiences, raising questions about how they shape young people’s perspectives on reality.
AI refers to when computers are designed to work and make decisions in ways similar to humans. AI has advanced significantly, helping students with homework, creating entertainment, and providing personalized support.
“I have heard lots of things about AI on social media about its impact on society,” said Kaelin Kurt, a sophomore at Carlmont High School.
AI has become a major topic across social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, where trends, filters, and content are spread quickly among many users.
“I believe that people are starting to rely on AI more than their own thinking,” Kurt said.
As AI becomes more common, this can affect people’s critical thinking skills when relying on a computer that is not always 100% right.
“AI gives more people an opportunity to create content,” said Sayuri Stock, a sophomore at Carlmont.
AI tools let more people create content by simplifying tasks such as editing, designing, and making videos, so those without certain skills can still share their ideas.
“I believe AI has already taken over most of the content on TikTok,” Stock said.
AI has been deeply built into TikTok, powering the algorithm and making it easy for users to create new trends.
A common trend is the creation of videos that blend the show Love Island with AI, transforming fruit into human-like characters that act out within a storyline.
“The Love Island fruit videos stood out to me because it is a new and different version of AI,” said Katie Michaels, a sophomore at Carlmont.
These types of videos go viral because they are funny and different from usual content on TikTok.
“This trend is different from the usual TikTok trend because it is not a dance and has a longer story,” Michaels said.
Dancing trends on TikTok dominated the app from 2020 to 2023. But now, TikTok trends rely on technology and AI to create content.
“I think AI content has become so realistic nowadays that I wouldn’t know what is real or fake,” Kurt said.
AI has started to create realistic-looking videos, where some people cannot tell if the video they are currently watching is AI or real.
However, AI can help students by creating practice tests for them and even study guides.
“AI does allow people to express their creativity, and can be occasionally educational,” Stock said.
