TikTok is a popular short-form video sharing app that has gained immense popularity in recent years. As of 2022, TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users globally [1]. The app allows users to create and share 15-60 second videos, often set to music or featuring creative edits and effects.
One of the key features that has driven TikTok’s success is its array of built-in filters and editing tools that allow users to easily transform and enhance their videos. TikTok offers a vast library of augmented reality (AR) filters that add virtual elements like makeup or accessories on a person’s face.
In particular, AI-powered art filters have become extremely popular on TikTok over the past year. These filters use artificial intelligence to dynamically generate unique visual effects and artwork based on a person’s facial features and expressions. The most viral of these is the TikTok Rose filter, which overlays an ethereal growing rose over a person’s face.
[1] https://influencermarketinghub.com/tiktok-stats/
What is the TikTok AI Art Filter?
The AI art filter that has taken TikTok by storm is called Rose. This viral filter was released by TikTok in 2022 and uses artificial intelligence to transform users’ photos and videos into unique works of art.
The Rose filter specifically applies an artistic style that resembles portrait paintings to a user’s selfies or other photographs. Using neural networks and deep learning, the AI analyzes facial features and lighting to generate its paintings.
According to TikTok, the Rose filter was created by Bytedance, TikTok’s parent company. By tapping into AI capabilities, the company aimed to provide TikTok users with an easy way to turn any photo or video into a personalized art piece.
Since launching, the Rose filter has become hugely popular, amassing over 26 billion views on videos using the effect. Its viral spread across TikTok demonstrates the creative potential unleashed when AI art filters are made accessible to the general public.
How the Rose Filter Works
The Rose filter on TikTok utilizes AI image generation technology to expand and enhance users’ photos and videos. This effect was developed by ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, through their AI Lab.
The filter uses a generative adversarial network (GAN), a type of AI algorithm, to analyze the existing visuals and generate new details that seem realistic. The AI expands the image’s borders, filling in the extra space with simulated scenery and objects that match the original style and composition. This creates an immersive, expanded view beyond the initial frame.
ByteDance trained the AI system on vast datasets of scenery photos so it can intelligently expand landscape images. The algorithm learns visual patterns and correlations to produce convincing extrapolations of buildings, nature, objects and other photo elements. This AI-powered effect brings photos to life in a creative way.
The Rose filter stands out for its vivid, high-resolution results and seamless expansion of images. By leveraging leading-edge AI research from ByteDance, TikTok was able to develop an innovative viral effect that delights users.
Viral Popularity of the Filter
The TikTok Rose filter quickly gained immense popularity after its initial release in 2022.
The stylized artistic effect lent itself perfectly for creating viral memes and art on the platform. The filter allowed creators to transform themselves into Renaissance-style painted portraits.
Many examples of popular Rose filter creations went viral, including user @skyler.firth’s video titled “i loved it🥹🥹 | filter trends” (https://www.tiktok.com/@skyler.firth/video/7317031485037350176) which gained over 3 million likes.
The hashtag #rosefilter went viral as well, garnering over 3 billion views on TikTok as countless users experimented with the filter’s effects.
The Rose filter’s viral popularity stemmed from its artistic qualities allowing everyday users to easily generate painterly portraits that were fun and engaging.
Creativity Enabled by the Filter
One of the most transformative aspects of the TikTok Rose AI art filter is how it has enabled creativity for everyday users. By making advanced AI image generation available through a simple smartphone app, the Rose filter essentially democratizes art creation.1
Whereas advanced digital art tools were previously only accessible to those with specialized skills or expensive equipment, now anyone with a TikTok account can utilize AI to generate unique visual artworks. This has inspired forms of creativity that didn’t exist before, as people use the Rose filter to transform selfies, landscapes, pets and more into stylistic art pieces.
TikTok’s platform prioritizes user-generated content, and the viral popularity of the Rose filter shows how it has empowered creators of all kinds. From students to hobbyists to professional artists, the filter provides a simple way to unlock one’s inner creativity. It represents a major step in democratizing art thanks to the power of AI.
Criticisms and Controversies
The rise in popularity of AI art filters like the TikTok Rose filter has sparked debates about ethics and originality. Some critics have accused AI art of stealing the styles of human artists without proper credit or compensation.
For example, artist Sarah Hester Ross said in a TikTok video, “Those AI generators are taking real artists’ art and they’re just mashing it all up…It’s really unethical” (source).
There are concerns that the ease of creating AI art could negatively impact professional artists who rely on art sales to make a living. As artist Jen Quanzen said, “I don’t think AI art on its own is necessarily unethical, but the ways people are currently using it can be detrimental to human artists” (source).
Many human artists worry that the public may not be able to distinguish AI art from original human-created art. There are calls for better labeling and transparency around the use of AI art filters to avoid misleading audiences.
The ethics of using AI to generate art remains a complex issue with reasonable arguments on both sides. As AI art technology continues advancing rapidly, the debates seem likely to intensify.
Impact on Culture and Society
The viral popularity of AI art filters like TikTok’s Rose has had a significant impact on mainstream culture and society. As AI-generated art goes mainstream through platforms like TikTok, the lines between human and AI creation are becoming blurred. Although TikTok labels filters like Rose as “AI art”, the actual creation involves collaboration between the AI and the human user. As noted in a 2022 study, this human-AI collaboration on TikTok influences user engagement and “social-interactive engagement” (Kang).
The mainstreaming of AI art through TikTok raises questions around art ownership and copyright. While TikTok users retain ownership over any original content they produce using the filters, TikTok owns the actual filter designs. As AI art proliferates, debates over IP rights and protections will likely intensify (MIDIARESEARCH).
Some argue these AI filters encourage creativity, while others criticize the generic, formulaic aesthetic. As AI art goes mainstream, it runs the risk of homogenizing art styles and discouraging unique human vision and expression (Tech Policy Press). The impact of AI art on culture and society continues to unfold.
The Future of AI Art Filters
The viral popularity of TikTok’s AI art filters like the Rose filter suggest there is strong demand for more advanced AI-powered creative tools. TikTok is likely to continue developing new and innovative filters that push the boundaries of what’s possible.
As noted in this article, the rise of AI art filters raises important questions about their role in digital culture and their impact on human creativity. While the filters enable new forms of expression, some argue they could make original human art obsolete.
Other social platforms are racing to catch up to TikTok’s capabilities for AI-generated art and media. Instagram recently introduced its own AI-powered features like filters that add music to Reels. We will likely see more platforms experiment with AI tools to remain competitive.
The future possibilities for AI art filters are expansive. As the technology improves, filters could become highly customizable and respond intelligently to individual users. More complex image and video generation may enable completely new forms of digital art and self-expression. But there are open questions around how to ensure AI development is ethical and empowering rather than harmful.
Key Takeaways
This AI art filter developed by TikTok has enabled anyone to easily create unique surreal and dreamlike artworks. The viral popularity of the filter demonstrates people’s desire to express their creativity in new ways thanks to advances in artificial intelligence.
Democratizing creativity is an exciting development, allowing more people to tap into their artistic potential regardless of traditional skills. However, this accessibility also raises important questions around copyright, attribution, and the role of AI in shaping culture.
As with any new technology, we must consider both the benefits and risks. While AI art filters provide fun and engaging experiences, we should also have ethical discussions about how to responsibly guide this technology going forward.
Conclusion
The TikTok AI art filter, known as the Rose filter, has made a huge splash in the world of social media and digital art. The viral popularity of the Rose filter demonstrates people’s fascination with using AI to fuel creativity and self-expression. At the same time, the filter has sparked important conversations around originality, copyright, and the role of AI in art.
While AI art filters enable new creative possibilities, they also disrupt traditional notions of artistry and ownership. As these technologies continue advancing rapidly, there will likely be many complex debates surrounding their implementation. However, one thing is clear – AI is here to stay. Though the Rose filter may fade with time, innovative AI art tools will continue emerging. It will be crucial that these tools empower people’s creativity while also fostering a fair and ethical AI future.
