TikTok launches AI tools to help brands find creators

TikTok is introducing a new set of AI-powered tools designed to automate parts of the creator marketing process, the latest move by a platform seeking to make it easier for brands to find creators and launch campaigns.

Announcing a slew of updates at Cannes Lions, TikTok unveiled Symphony Agent, what it describes as an "agentic AI" tool. Unlike traditional AI tools that respond to individual prompts, agentic AI is designed to complete tasks on a user's behalf.

TikTok said Symphony Agent can recommend creators, generate campaign briefs, identify trends and suggest content ideas based on a brand's goals.

The company said the tool will be integrated across several of its advertising products, including TikTok One – its platform for managing creator partnerships and campaigns – where it can help brands identify creators, and Content Suite, where it can search through creator content to find videos relevant to a particular brief.

TikTok has also launched Creator Networks, a feature that allows brands to build groups of employee creators, brand advocates and other contributors who can receive campaign briefs and take part in content opportunities.

The first Creator Network will launch with Starbucks later this year. It builds on Starbucks' existing employee creator initiative and will allow participating staff to create content and share in advertising revenue.

The updates are the latest sign of platforms trying to reduce the manual work involved in creator marketing. Earlier this month, LinkedIn launched Creator Marketplace, a tool designed to help brands discover and partner with creators directly through the platform, while Meta and YouTube have both introduced features aimed at bringing creator partnerships further into their advertising systems.

As previously reported by The Daily Influence, some creator economy operators have questioned whether platform-led marketplaces can replicate the relationship-driven nature of creator marketing, arguing that much of the work behind successful partnerships still happens outside platform tools.