TikTok, the social media giant owned by ByteDance, has announced a wave of layoffs affecting hundreds of employees as the company pivots towards artificial intelligence for content moderation. Among those impacted are a significant number of staff in Malaysia, where over 700 jobs were initially rumored to be cut, according to two sources close to the matter. However, TikTok clarified that fewer than 500 employees in Malaysia were actually affected.
The layoffs, which predominantly impact content moderation roles, were communicated to employees via email on Wednesday night, according to the sources, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. TikTok confirmed the job cuts in response to Reuters’ inquiries, noting that the reductions are part of a broader restructuring aimed at improving moderation efficiency globally.
TikTok currently relies on a combination of AI-driven detection and human moderators to oversee the content posted on its platform. This shift towards AI underscores the company’s increasing reliance on automated systems to handle the vast volumes of content it receives daily.
ByteDance, which operates in more than 200 cities worldwide and employs over 110,000 people, is expected to implement additional layoffs next month as it consolidates its regional operations, one source added.
“We’re making these changes as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our global operating model for content moderation,” a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.
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