{"id":36299,"date":"2018-11-13T19:59:41","date_gmt":"2018-11-14T00:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/toutiao-challenging-the-one-feed-fits-all-notion-of-information-dissemination\/"},"modified":"2018-11-13T19:59:41","modified_gmt":"2018-11-14T00:59:41","slug":"toutiao-challenging-the-one-feed-fits-all-notion-of-information-dissemination","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/toutiao-challenging-the-one-feed-fits-all-notion-of-information-dissemination\/","title":{"rendered":"Toutiao: Challenging the \u201cOne-Feed-Fits-All\u201d Notion of Information Dissemination"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the advancement of machine learning, one Beijing-based company, Jinri Toutiao (a.k.a. \u201cToday\u2019s Headlines\u201d), capitalized on the underlying technologies to challenge the \u201cone-feed-fits-all\u201d model of news and information outlets today.[1]<\/sup> Using machine learning to centralize and optimize the distribution of information, Jinri Toutiao (\u201cToutiao\u201d) created immense value for the modern reader by offering relevant, quality content at a speed and attention level that no human editor is able to achieve.[2]<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Launched in 2012, Toutiao became China\u2019s leading mobile app provider of news and other content in just a few short months. Its success is attributable to the machine learning technologies it uses to create newsfeeds specifically tailored to user preferences. According to Vice President Tina Zhao, Toutiao aims \u201cto become the information platform that knows each individual best\u201d with \u201cno two users\u2019 feed lists alike.\u201d[3]<\/sup> Today, Toutiao boasts \u201c~120 million daily active users\u201d who spend, on average, \u201c74 minutes a day\u201d on the app, more than \u201cany other big social platforms in or outside China, including Facebook and WeChat.\u201d[4]<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The app generates an initial newsfeed based on information from the user\u2019s profile (e.g. demographics, location, phone model). Then, as users interact with the app, it learns users\u2019 preferences through what they\u2019re reading, time spent on articles, comments and millions of other dimensions. If the user has a tendency to read sports-related news before bed and politics in the morning, the algorithms will learn that nuance and \u201cpush\u201d relevant articles to the user during those specific time periods. For most users, the app\u2019s algorithms begin pushing highly relevant recommendations within a day![4]<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As with all machine learning, the platform requires massive amounts of data (e.g. user interaction) to provide the level of precision it needs to generate value for users. Thus, Toutiao continuously scours the web for interesting content to enhance user retention and interaction. In 2013, Toutiao introduced Toutiaohao, a self-publishing platform for professional and individual content creators with the goal of boosting its database\u2019s content quantity and quality. The company now claims \u201c1.2 million Toutiaohao accounts, including media outlets, government services, bloggers, and influencers, who publish ~500,000 pieces daily.\u201d[5]<\/sup> Additionally, during the 2016 Olympics, the company introduced Xiaomingbot, an artificial intelligence that published \u201c450 news items throughout the 15-day event.\u201d[6]<\/sup> Although the content was written in simple English, the rate at which the stories went live, often within a few seconds after the end of an event, garnered global attention. Over time, Toutiao hopes to refine the Xiaomingbot technology to produce more compelling stories.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to content quantity, Toutiao must also ensure content quality as it faces the prevalence of fake news and clickbait content. Its parent company, Bytedance, employs a unique battle strategy \u2013 fight fake news with more fake news. Bytedance developed two bots, one that writes its own \u201cfake fake news\u201d by learning from the app\u2019s database of real fake news, and another that is \u201ctrained to detect fake news by analyzing its counterpart\u2019s fake newsfeed.\u201d According to Toutiao AI Lab head, Ma Weiying, this \u201cdual-learning\u201d process sets the two bots to \u201c\u2026compete with each other\u201d and \u201cpush[es] each other to improve.\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While I applaud Toutiao for its track record in innovation and commitment to content quality, the current improvement process is too dependent upon a database of existing fake news, and thus, the solution is always reactive and potentially prone to human manipulation. Going forward, Toutiao should advance its machine learning technology to be able to proactively filter not only fake news, but sensational articles that live within the gray areas. Critics have noticed that there is a disproportionate amount of \u201csoft news\u201d (e.g. celebrity gossip, pop culture, lifestyle articles) distributed through the app. With Toutiao\u2019s reliance on ad sales, its revenue-sharing program with content creators, and the inherent dangers of algorithm bias, the company should implement safeguards to protect the app from developing into an echo chamber of convergent content. Head of Toutiao\u2019s AI Lab, Lei Li, has previously stated that the machine learning model is designed to \u201cexpand [users\u2019] horizons,\u201d offering \u201csome content that the user hasn\u2019t signaled a preference for.\u201d[7]<\/sup> While this brings some level of comfort, it is important that Toutiao continuously assesses the integrity of its platform.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Additional Thoughts<\/span><\/u><\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

With Toutiao as the main source of information for most users in China nowadays, where and how should Toutiao draw the line between a budding social responsibility to balance hard and soft news and delivering its value proposition of providing curated content for users?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The company recently expanded its censorship team with 2,000 additional hires as Toutiao\u2019s exploding success attracted scrutiny from the Chinese government.[8]<\/sup> Given Toutiao\u2019s immense ability to shape news selection and its colossal database of user data, how should Toutiao navigate China\u2019s complex environment without sacrificing the integrity of its platform? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

(793 words)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sources<\/span><\/p>\n

[1] Hershey, F. (2017). <\/span>Toutiao’s approach to curbing fake news: teach the AI to write it so that the machines can fight it.<\/i>. [online] Splice. Available at: https:\/\/www.thesplicenewsroom.com\/china-toutiao-fake-news-ai\/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].<\/span><\/p>\n

[2] Hariharan, A. (2017). <\/span>The Hidden Forces Behind Toutiao: China’s Content King<\/i>. [online] YC Research. Available at: https:\/\/blog.ycombinator.com\/the-hidden-forces-behind-toutiao-chinas-content-king\/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].<\/span><\/p>\n

[3] Digipanda Marketing Co. (2018). <\/span>Toutiao: an Emerging Social Media Platform in China that You Can\u2019t Afford to Ignore<\/i>. [online] Available at: http:\/\/www.digipanda.co.uk\/toutiao-an-emerging-social-media-platform-in-china-that-you-cant-afford-to-ignore\/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].<\/span><\/p>\n

[4] The Economist. (2017). <\/span>Toutiao, a Chinese news app that\u2019s making headlines<\/i>. [online] Available at: https:\/\/www.economist.com\/business\/2017\/11\/18\/toutiao-a-chinese-news-app-thats-making-headlines [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].<\/span><\/p>\n

[5] Zhao, X. (2018). <\/span>Exclusive: Toutiao to build up a partial paywall for its top-ranked news app in China \u2013 KrASIA<\/i>. [online] Kr-asia.com. Available at: https:\/\/kr-asia.com\/toutiao-to-build-up-a-partial-paywall-for-its-top-ranked-news-app-in-china\/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].<\/span><\/p>\n

[6] Cuthbertson, A. (2016). <\/span>A prolific robot journalist covered 450 Olympic stories<\/i>. [online] Newsweek. Available at: https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/robot-journalist-olympics-artificial-intelligence-ai-493833 [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].<\/span><\/p>\n

[7] Knight, W. (2017). <\/span>This Chinese media giant is using machine learning to go after Facebook\u2019s lunch<\/i>. [online] MIT Technology Review. Available at: https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/s\/603351\/the-insanely-popular-chinese-news-app-that-youve-never-heard-of\/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].<\/span><\/p>\n

[8] Feng, E. (2018). <\/span>Tencent, Toutiao hiring more censors as China increases scrutiny | Financial Times<\/i>. [online] Ft.com. Available at: https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/c39547dc-f107-11e7-b220-857e26d1aca4 [Accessed 10 Nov. 2018].<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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