eBay, the popular online marketplace, has launched an innovative AI tool that can generate a product listing from a single photo. This tool, available in the eBay app for iOS (with an Android version to follow soon), has the ability to automatically write a title and description based on a photo, as well as provide additional information such as a product release date, category, subcategory, list price, and shipping cost.
Key Takeaway
eBay has introduced an AI tool that can generate product listings from photos, eliminating the need for sellers to manually enter information. Although the tool aims to address the “cold start” issue faced by first-time sellers, some longtime eBay sellers have expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the AI-generated descriptions.
This new tool builds upon eBay’s previous efforts to incorporate AI into the selling process, including AI-generated product catalog descriptions and a background removal tool for listing photos. The “photo-to-listing” tool was created internally by eBay’s team, who will use the listing data generated to further refine the model. The company sees AI as a way to reduce friction and streamline the process of listing items on their platform, making it incredibly easy and even enjoyable for sellers.
eBay plans to continue leveraging AI in their selling process by launching a plugin that automatically generates item descriptions based on existing web content, powered by an OpenAI language model. The company’s goal is to provide sellers with a magical listing experience that utilizes AI to analyze and extrapolate information from minimal data provided by the seller.
However, some longtime eBay sellers have criticized the platform’s AI direction. In online forums and communities, sellers have complained about the poor quality of eBay’s description generator. They argue that the AI-generated text is often misleading, inaccurate, and overly verbose, failing to provide clear and concise descriptions for potential buyers.
While eBay acknowledges that the generated text may not be entirely accurate, sellers are also concerned about the use cases envisioned by eBay for this tool. They believe that the AI-generated descriptions lack important details about the individual characteristics and flaws of items, making them less useful for buyers.
Nevertheless, eBay’s adoption of AI in their selling process is not unique. Other marketplaces, such as Shopify and Amazon, have also embraced AI to improve their platforms. Shopify has introduced AI-generated product descriptions, while Amazon has rolled out AI-generated summaries of reviews. Amazon is also piloting AI that allows merchants to generate titles, descriptions, and bullet points for select products.
Overall, eBay’s rollout of an AI tool for generating product listings from photos reflects their commitment to utilizing AI to enhance the selling experience on their platform. Though sellers have expressed concerns about the quality and usefulness of the generated descriptions, eBay remains steadfast in their efforts to make listing items on their platform seamless and efficient.
