eBay is letting employees use a “magical” new AI tool to automatically generate listings with only an image, and it will release it to the public in the coming months. eBay announced the new tool in a blog post on Thursday, writing: “eBay’s new magical listing tool uses artificial intelligence to extrapolate details about listings from images. Sellers can list items with ease, and buyers can access more information about potential purchases.”
Sellers in the US already have access to a tool through the eBay app where they can add a title and category and opt to have eBay’s generative AI fill in the description. Sellers got their first inkling of the tool in May when eBay unleashed it without warning. eBay has said that as of late July, over 95% of sellers who tried it opted to use the AI-generated descriptions, including those with edits.
The new tool announced on September 7th takes the process further: “Our new image-based magical listing tool allows sellers to take or upload a photo in the eBay app (iOS-only for now) and watch AI fill in item information details. From a simple photo, AI can write titles, descriptions and add vital information, which could include product release date, detailed category and sub-category, and can combine with eBay’s other tech to suggest a listing price and shipping cost.”
eBay published an accompanying post on Thursday to describe its “commitment to responsible AI” featuring an interview with Dr. Anna Zeiter, eBay’s Chief Privacy Officer, Associate General Counsel for Privacy, Data & AI.
Zeiter said eBay was working to ensure it’s transparent about AI and that the technology is unbiased and carries no discriminatory outcomes; and that it is consistent across eBay and respectful of user privacy.
“All of our AI systems and models should be continuously tested, re-tested, and monitored to ensure that they remain fair and safe,” she said. “We’re also committed to having human oversight in our AI work; we see AI as a tool to augment human capabilities, rather than to replace them. By keeping real people in the loop and also continuing to offer non-AI, human alternatives, we can ensure fairness.”
eBay has a global standard in place for “responsible AI,” Zeiter said, and is in the process of establishing a responsible AI committee, whose members will include eBay’s Chief AI Officer Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov; eBay’s Chief Technology Officer Mazen Rawashdeh; and Senior Director for Responsible AI Lauren Wilcox.
eBay has already trained employees, Zeiter said, including sending out “Leading With Integrity” ethics training for all employees, worldwide.
“People might think from the outside that eBay is only a marketplace, but we’re much more than that,” Zeiter said. “We work in payments, advertising, first- and third-party integration, NFTs, marketing, fraud protection, anti-money laundering, all kinds of things. And it’s all AI-driven to some degree; over 200 teams at eBay are working on AI-related applications, spanning the entire company.”
Interestingly, Zeiter said eBay is mulling a labeling system so whenever something is created using AI, it’s labeled as an AI-generated item. “This will need to be ironed out, of course; AI is going to be integrated very deeply into technology in the future, and it will be vital to delineate what we need to convey to users and employees.
“But we think we will be able to take advantage of the possibilities of AI without losing sight of the fact that we are humans, working to help other humans achieve their goals and connect with communities all around the world.”
While the premise of AI-generated listings is to make it easier for sellers to list items – a sort of “point-and-list” process – if the technology doesn’t get it right, it could spell trouble. As one cynical seller wrote in reaction to Thursday’s announcement, “Can’t wait for the “Magical Returns” this should create.”
Ina Steiner
