AI driven misinformation threatens trust on TikTok — Expert

Just like sweet honey dripping from a honeycomb, TikTok can be irresistibly addictive.

One minute you are watching a recipe for fluffy pancakes, the next you are learning dance moves you will probably never attempt.

But beneath that endless stream of creativity lies a growing concern about the spread of misinformation, increasingly fueled by artificial intelligence.

With the rising rate of AI-generated content and manipulated visuals, TikTok has slowly turned into a space where truth and fiction sometimes compete for attention.

From altered images to convincingly edited clips, artificial intelligence has made it easier than ever to create content that looks real but may not be entirely accurate.

The platform moves at lightning speed, meaning misleading content can travel across thousands of screens before anyone stops to question it.

 A report by DataReportal indicates that TikTok advertisements reached 1.59 billion users in January 2025, placing the platform fourth among the world’s social media platforms by reported advertising reach outside China.

As of early 2025, TikTok has between 1.58 and 1.6 billion monthly active users globally, with some estimates showing around 954 million daily active users. On average, users spend about 95 minutes every day scrolling through videos on the platform.

The majority of its audience falls within the 18 to 34 age group, with recent trends also showing a shift toward a slightly male-dominant user base.

Those numbers highlight the enormous influence the platform holds and why misinformation spreading through it can have real-world consequences.

For content creators, the challenge is becoming increasingly complex.“My feeling is that the first challenge is that audiences and also content creators do not know the difference between misinformation and disinformation,” says David Muba, Head of Digital Strategy, Commercialisation, and Partnerships at Radio Africa Group.

According to Muba, misunderstanding these two concepts is where many problems begin.

“Mostly misinformation happens by mistake,” he explains. “But disinformation is manipulation. It is false and created deliberately to push a certain narrative that does not exist.”

In a platform where trends rise and fall within hours, creators sometimes feel pressure to post quickly in order to stay relevant. But speed can come at the expense of accuracy.

“In the past, media houses were the main publishers,” Muba notes. “But today, as long as you have an online platform, you are a publisher.”

That means influencers, vloggers and everyday TikTok users now carry responsibilities that were once limited to journalists verifying information, checking sources and providing context before sharing content.

 Muba emphasises that misinformation affects three major groups in the information chain: where the information comes from, the person sharing it, and the audience consuming it.

For creators trying to build credibility online, sharing inaccurate or AI-manipulated content — even unintentionally — can damage trust with their followers.

The impact on consumers is equally significant. Misleading videos can shape opinions, spread false narratives or even create unnecessary panic.

Once a piece of viral misinformation gains traction, correcting it becomes extremely difficult. The problem grows even bigger when misleading content leaves TikTok and spreads to private messaging platforms.

“It gets worse when it reaches WhatsApp groups,” Muba says with a laugh. “You know all our aunties are in WhatsApp groups, and when it reaches there, it becomes like a bushfire.”

That is why digital responsibility is becoming a critical skill for both creators and audiences.

Muba offers one simple piece of advice that might sound small but could make a huge difference: count from one to ten before sharing viral information, because that brief pause might help you question whether the content is accurate before spreading it further.

In an age where artificial intelligence can create convincing but misleading content in seconds, critical thinking has become one of the most valuable tools online.

Because behind every swipe, every like, and every share lies a powerful truth, information moves as fast as our thumbs.

And sometimes, slowing down for just ten seconds might be the difference between spreading truth and spreading misinformation.