TikTok
Short-form video platform with ads
Machine Learning Engineer Intern - E-Commerce Recommendation Mall
About the job
- Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related discipline.
- Have a solid foundation in machine learning and deep learning, with research or project experience in at least one of the following areas: large language models, reinforcement learning, generative models, recommender systems, or information retrieval.
- Be proficient in Python and at least one mainstream deep learning framework, such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.
- Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills and an interest in tackling complex, open-ended research problems.
- Drive the evolution of recommender systems from discriminative to generative paradigms, including generative retrieval and generative re-ranking or blending, while improving personalization and optimizing generative-model training and inference efficiency on GPUs.
- Leverage large language models, reinforcement learning, and related techniques to improve the semantic understanding and reasoning capabilities of recommender systems for e-commerce challenges including cold start, long-tail item distribution, and user intent understanding.
- Explore the construction of self-evolving agents and use agents to continuously optimize recommender systems toward agentic architectures that perceive user context and make real-time personalized decisions and adjustments.
- Explore replacing traditional heuristic rule-based systems with large language model and agent capabilities, and build algorithms for measuring and optimizing long-term value and user experience.
- Experience with recommendation systems, especially in live commerce, e-commerce, search, advertising, or other large-scale consumer products.
- Experience with generative recommendation, large recommendation models, retrieval and ranking systems, or related recommendation architecture upgrades.
- Experience with large language models or multimodal foundation models, including pre-training, post-training, representation learning, contrastive learning, supervised fine-tuning, or reinforcement-learning-based optimization.
- Experience in cross-domain transfer learning, long-term value modeling, long-term value optimization, causal inference, or debiasing.
- Experience with long-sequence user behavior modeling, multi-task learning, multi-interest modeling, or large-scale distributed training and inference optimization.
- Publications in top-tier conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, KDD, ACL, CVPR, SIGIR, or RecSys, or strong achievements in major technical competitions.
- Curiosity about new technologies, ability to learn quickly, and interest in solving challenging real-world problems.
About the company
TikTok is a short-form mobile video platform that allows users to create, discover, and share vertical videos. The app uses an algorithmic feed to surface content personalized to each user, while advertisers can run in-feed ads, branded hashtags, and sponsored challenges, with a Business Center to plan and measure campaigns. The platform differs from competitors through a large global creator community, integrated marketing tools, and rapid trend cycles that drive high engagement. Its goal is to inspire creativity and bring joy by helping people express themselves and giving brands a direct way to reach a broad audience.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$740K
Headquarters
Santa Monica, California
Founded
2016
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- September 15, 2026: Creator Networks and LIVE Bax deepen monetization and retention.
- September 2026: TikTok expanded AI literacy, content provenance, and spam-fighting systems.
- Recent partner launches show brands still invest in TikTok performance and local video ads.
What critics are saying
- September 19, 2026: Judge Wu threatened TikTok’s privacy settlement and consent-decree exit.
- February 2026: European Commission found TikTok’s addictive design violates DSA, risking 6% fines.
- US ownership pressure remains existential; failed joint-venture terms invite ban or forced divestiture.
What makes TikTok unique
- TikTok’s recommendation engine still dominates short-form discovery and creator distribution.
- TikTok LIVE now connects 240 million creators with 21,000 creator networks.
- TikTok’s ad stack extends through marketing partners like Tiger Pistol and Nest Commerce.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Holidays
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Vacation
Parental Leave
Wellness Program
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 19%1 year growth
↑ 19%2 year growth
↑ 19%Spanish PM says unregulated AI could be 'devastating' * Tech * AFP * September 21, 2026 * 98 * 3 min Madrid - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday joined a chorus of calls to regulate AI as safety fears around the technology escalate, warning of potentially "devastating" consequences. The debate over the risks from artificial intelligence has intensified this month, with many of the industry's leading lights voicing support for more cooperation, regulation and slower development of the technology. Former employees of major AI companies have resigned warning of the technology's risks, even pointing to an existential threat to humanity. "If artificial intelligence is concentrated among a few companies and a handful of countries, its impact on shared prosperity, and therefore on the idea of democracy, will be very negative, if not devastating," Sanchez told an AI-focused event in Madrid. "We must act urgently, because unregulated, opaque artificial intelligence running wild... and in very few hands is the perfect recipe for disaster," added the Socialist leader. US President Donald Trump - with whom Sanchez has repeatedly clashed - has dismissed fears that AI could wipe out humanity and rejected calls to put greater controls around the fast-moving technology. Download Interactive Maps Sanchez, an outspoken critic of the power of big tech companies and their bosses, on Monday renewed his criticism of "techno-oligarchs" and urged international coordination on AI. "Self-regulation does not work", said Sanchez, calling for an AI "focused on well-being and collective prosperity that enables the building of fairer societies". He presented a 12-month plan aiming for "a new social contract for artificial intelligence" in Spain in cooperation with civil society. This agreement would have to offer "security to people in the face of the changes in work and in life that this technology will entail", he said. In February, Sanchez announced a plan to ban social media for under-16s, sparking a spat with X owner Elon Musk and Telegram founder Pavel Durov. His government has also asked the Spanish prosecutors to investigate X, Meta and TikTok for possible offences related to AI-generated child pornography. Discover more Stream History Documentaries
TikTok creator agencies in Southeast Asia are deploying AI to reduce operational costs. Malaysia's W Talent Entertainment, managing over 800 creators, uses AI for data analysis and recruitment whilst human staff handle relationships. Indonesia's Folago, with 5,000 creators, employs AI across recruitment, content recommendations, and performance analysis. Folago has developed approximately 1,000 AI-generated creator accounts for commerce and 12 AI-avatar singers, with plans for an AI concert. The company has reduced its video editing staff as AI tools automate parts of the process, with manpower remaining the biggest expense. However, both firms see limitations. Folago notes AI creators suit e-commerce better than livestream entertainment, which depends on human interaction. TikTok supports these efforts with Live Bax, an AI business assistant launched at its Bangkok summit. The platform supports 21,000 creator networks managing 4.7 million livestream creators globally.
U.S. judge signals rejection of part of TikTok $400 million privacy settlement. Advertisements The TikTok logo appears on a smartphone screen against an abstract background in the app's colors. The European Commission formally accuses TikTok of violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to its design, which it considers addictive, and considers heavy fines if changes are not made in Creteil, France, on February 10, 2026. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images TikTok and ByteDance's proposed $400 million settlement with the U.S. Justice Department hit a hurdle on Friday after a federal judge indicated he would reject part of the agreement. TikTok and its Chinese parent company agreed in August to settle allegations that the short-video app violated U.S. children's online privacy laws. Under the deal, TikTok agreed to pay $300 million immediately and a further $100 million if a court terminated a 2019 consent decree imposed by the Federal Trade Commission on TikTok's predecessor, Musical.ly. But U.S. District Judge George H. Wu in Los Angeles said he was inclined to reject the request to end the consent decree and scheduled a hearing for Monday. Without further details, the court "cannot determine that it constitutes a durable remedy or that termination is suitably tailored to the asserted change in circumstance," Wu said in tentatively rejecting the bid to end the decree. The FTC said in 2019 that Musical.ly, later folded into TikTok, knew young children were using the app but failed to obtain parental consent before collecting names, email addresses and other personal information. Musical.ly paid a $5.7 million fine to settle the allegations. The consent decree requires TikTok to maintain certain reporting and record-keeping obligations through 2029. TikTok and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday. The $400 million settlement stems from a Justice Department lawsuit filed in 2024 accusing TikTok and ByteDance of failing to protect children's privacy and illegally collecting their personal information. The companies were accused of violating a law requiring online services aimed at children to obtain parental consent before collecting information from users under 13. The government said TikTok had undergone significant changes since the lawsuit was filed, including to its ownership structure, management, compliance functions and privacy practices. In January, ByteDance agreed to establish a majority American-owned joint venture aimed at safeguarding U.S. user data and averting a U.S. ban on an app used by more than 200 million Americans. The TikTok U.S. joint venture said in a court filing that it requires all users to enter their date of birth to use the site and added that it developed sophisticated age-moderation systems that identify children under 13 who misrepresented their age. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
TikTok removes 2.8 million violating videos in Saudi Arabia in 3 months Wissam Al-Muqrin, Raneem Al-Osaimi, Riyadh The "TikTok" platform removed more than 2.8 million videos in Saudi Arabia during the first quarter of 2026 for violating community guidelines, with 98.2% of them deleted proactively, according to what Malak Al-Jaafar, director of awareness and partnerships for the Middle East and North Africa and Turkey region at "TikTok," told "Al-Eqtisadiah." Al-Jaafar said, during the "Family Academy" event hosted by the platform in Riyadh, that "TikTok" removed globally about 25.7 million accounts during the first three months of the year, on suspicion that their owners are under 13 years old, which is the minimum age allowed to use the platform. More than 50 parental control tools Al-Jaafar explained that the "Family Academy" aims to strengthen dialogue between parents and teenagers about digital safety, by introducing families to tools that help them understand their children's experience on the platform and strengthen trust and communication with them. The "Family Pairing" feature provides more than 50 tools and settings, allowing parents to manage multiple aspects of teenagers' experience on "TikTok," including privacy settings, interactions, and screen time. Wed, 26 2026 The platform applies a set of safety measures designated for teenagers, including making accounts private, imposing restrictions on content, in addition to setting a default daily screen time of 60 minutes The event included interactive sessions addressing the nature of the relationship between parents and teenagers in the digital environment, with the participation of digital safety specialists and civil society organizations. The experience gap between parents and teenagers For her part, Linda Al-Faisal, host and founder of the "Linda and Vision 2030" podcast, said that the difference in experiences between parents and teenagers requires enhancing mutual listening, amid the expanding presence of technology in daily life. She pointed out that younger generations may believe, due to their continuous interaction with technology, that they are more knowledgeable about its tools, but parents' experience remains an important factor in recognizing risks and practices that may cause harm. She added that social media platforms have become a major part of daily life, which raises the level of users' responsibility toward the content they provide, especially young people, stressing the importance of producing content with a positive impact that encourages others to gain new expertise and experiences. The "Family Academy" comes within "TikTok" initiatives aimed at raising awareness of digital safety, by combining technical protection tools and promoting dialogue within the family, helping teenagers develop more balanced and safer digital habits.
Going live is easy, making money from it is not - TikTok introduce Creator Networks. TikTok's Creator Networks programme aims to help creators sharpen their livestreaming skills, build audiences and develop potential income streams. September 18, 2026 * TikTok's Creator Networks programme offers personalised coaching and support to help creators improve livestreaming skills and build additional income streams. * TikTok's new AI assistant, LIVE Bax, helps Creator Networks analyse performance data and streamline daily tasks for better creator support. Making money by going live on a social media platform is not as easy as it sounds - even if you're selling killer products. For aspiring content creators and online entrepreneurs, attracting viewers, keeping them engaged and turning that attention into income requires more than simply going live and promoting a product. With rising living costs and economic pressures, some Malaysians are turning to content creation and online businesses as alternative income streams. However, not everyone has the skills or confidence to promote products or services to an online audience. Creator Networks offer A helping hand. TikTok says its Creator Networks programme under TikTok LIVE is designed to help creators overcome these challenges through guidance and support from third-party agencies working with the platform. The networks provide personalised one-to-one coaching, advice and feedback to help creators improve their content and livestreaming skills. They can also advise creators on ways to increase viewership, identify suitable times to go LIVE, build communities and improve overall livestreaming performance. Creators can also exchange knowledge and experiences with others within the Creator Networks ecosystem. The programme was highlighted during TikTok's Global Creator Networks Summit at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok on Sept 15. No promise of instant cash. TikTok stressed that Creator Networks do not guarantee a sudden increase in income. Instead, the programme focuses on improving content quality, boosting audience engagement and helping creators develop potential additional income streams. The programme is also not limited to established creators or online sellers, with TikTok saying individuals looking to generate income, including single mothers, can seek guidance from Creator Networks. Meet LIVE Bax, the AI assistant. TikTok also introduced LIVE Bax, an operational platform designed to help Creator Networks record and analyse creators' performance. TikTok Head of LIVE Creator Networks, Product and Strategy, Claire Li, said the AI-powered assistant helps Creator Networks teams obtain information and data about creators' content while streamlining their daily tasks. TikTok said livestreaming's interactive nature is also driving its popularity among creators and consumers. Unlike conventional online shopping, LIVE allows viewers to interact directly with sellers and creators through comments, likes and virtual gifts while getting immediate answers to questions about products. For example, shoppers can ask a clothing seller about sizing during a livestream and receive an immediate response instead of waiting for a reply. 240 million creators went LIVE. Li said more than 240 million content creators worldwide went LIVE on TikTok in 2025, almost double the number recorded in 2024. TikTok also expects the global livestream entertainment market to surpass US$200 billion (about RM576.86 billion) by 2030. In Malaysia, W Talent is among the agencies working with TikTok LIVE under its Creator Networks programme to support and develop local creators. The agency regularly shares tips and strategies to help creators grow their brands on their official TikTok account.