Acceptable Use Policy
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Tiny Desk AI makes exactly one kind of video: the people or pets from your photos sit in for the band in an Outstanding Tiny Desk AI clip. There is no prompt box; every clip follows instructions we wrote in advance. Even so, photos can be misused, so these rules apply to every photo uploaded and every video made here. They are part of our terms of service.
Why these rules exist
A face swap is only funny when everyone in it is in on the joke. The same tool that puts your friends behind the desk could put a stranger, an ex or a coworker there without them knowing, and a convincing clip of a real person can travel much further than the person who made it intended. These rules keep the trend what it is meant to be: a shared joke between people who all said yes.
Who may appear in your photos
Only use photos you took or have the right to use. Every real person shown must be you or someone who has said yes to being in the video. You confirm both points before each video is made.
Banned content
Do not upload, or attempt to create, anything in these categories:
- Harm to children: sexual abuse material involving children, any sexual or sexualized depiction of a minor, sexual remarks aimed at a minor, and sexual content showing a minor even if AI-made or fictional. Child sexual abuse material is reported to the authorities.
- Adult content: pornography, sexually explicit material, nudity and anything else not safe for work.
- Deepfakes and impersonation: videos of real people who have not consented, sexual deepfakes of anyone (celebrities included), posing as another person, scams and fake endorsements.
- Violence and extremism: extreme gore, terrorist or extremist propaganda, serious violence against a real person, and calls for violence in the real world.
- Hate: material that seriously demeans or dehumanizes people, discriminates against them, or urges violence against them for who they are.
- Other people's intellectual property: characters, mascots, logos, brands or other protected work used without the owner's permission.
- Anything else illegal, harmful or fraudulent.
Banned behavior
- Uploading a real person who has not agreed to appear.
- Trying to slip past or switch off the content checks.
- Using a video to mislead people, for example presenting it as real footage, pretending to be someone or inventing an endorsement.
Fine to make
- You on lead vocals, or you in every seat at once.
- Your friends, roommates or family, after each of them has said they are happy to be in it.
- Your team, club or office, with the agreement of everyone whose photo you use. Asking in the group chat first is the easy way to do it.
- Your own cats, dogs and other pets, or any animal you photographed yourself.
- A birthday, farewell or end-of-season version made as a gift for the people in it.
Not fine to make
- A coworker, classmate, neighbor or former partner who does not know about the video.
- Celebrities, athletes, politicians, influencers or other public figures, even as a joke.
- Anyone under 18, including your own children or younger relatives.
- Faces taken from someone else's social media profile, a news photo or a stock image.
- A version made to embarrass, harass or mock a particular person, or to make it look as though they really performed.
- A clip with a sports team's, company's or school's logo or mascot added in, unless you own it or have permission to use it.
Our checks
- Each photo is checked automatically before any credits are charged. If it breaks these rules, it is turned away and no video is made.
- Each finished video is checked a second time before you can watch or download it. If it breaks these rules, it is discarded and its credits are returned.
- The checks run on the Qwen vision model through Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, and the Kling video model applies a safety filter of its own.
- Every check is logged with its result, the rule involved and the reason. Reports and appeals are always read by a person.
- The rules behind the checks are reviewed and tightened as new kinds of misuse appear.
The original performance
Every clip is built on Charlie Wilson's Tiny Desk performance of "Outstanding". Tiny Desk AI is not connected to NPR, Tiny Desk, Charlie Wilson or The Gap Band, and nothing you make here should suggest that it is. Do not present your video as an official release, claim the performers endorse you, or use their names to promote something. Keep it to what the trend is: a parody made for fun and shared with friends and followers.
Using the service fairly
The same fairness rules from the terms of service apply here. Do not use bots or scripts to make videos, do not resell credits or access to the service, and do not look for ways around the content checks, credit charges or unlock rules. If you think you have found a weakness in the checks, tell us instead of testing it.
Posting your video
Once a video is yours, where you post it is up to you, but it should never pass as real footage. Turn on TikTok's AI-generated content label when you upload, use the altered or synthetic content disclosure on YouTube Shorts, and follow the AI labeling rules of any other platform you use. Keep the joke obvious in the caption as well, and do not tag or credit the original performers as if they took part.
If someone in your video changes their mind
Agreement can be taken back. If a person who appears in your video asks you to remove it, delete the posts you made with it and remove the video from your account page. If they cannot reach you, they can contact us directly using the reporting route below, and we will take down anything that is still stored with us.
Reporting a video
Seen a Tiny Desk AI video that breaks these rules, shows you without your consent, or uses your copyrighted work or trademark? Email support@tiny-desk-ai.pro with a link or a description and the reason it should come down. A person reads every report, and reports about child safety, fraud, deepfakes and intellectual property go to the front of the queue.
Consequences
- Content that breaks the rules is refused or taken down.
- Serious or repeated breaches lead to the account being suspended or closed, and unused credits on a closed account are lost unless the law requires a refund.
- Any child sexual abuse material is passed on to the relevant authorities.
Not sure if something is allowed?
Ask before you make it. Email support@tiny-desk-ai.pro with a short description of the video you have in mind and we will tell you whether it fits these rules. When the rules change, the date at the top of this page changes with them, and the automatic checks are updated at the same time.
Disputing a decision
Think a photo or video was turned down by mistake, or your account was suspended unfairly? Email support@tiny-desk-ai.pro from the address on your account and a person will review it and reply. A refused photo is never charged, so it never needs a refund.