Amazon is testing an artificial intelligence tool allowing sellers to generate product descriptions and other listing information.
The e-commerce platform is currently conducting tests among select sellers, according to a report from The Information. Based on generative AI and large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT, users can input keywords for their product into the artificial intelligence tool and automatically create information for their listing. Should it leave the testing phase, the feature could significantly reduce workloads, especially for sellers with numerous listings. However, Amazon is warning users that the new service will still need human supervision to ensure compliance. The company’s guidelines stipulate that descriptions be written clearly and informatively, kept within character limits, and include a bullet-pointed list. The rules also preclude the use of HTML or JavaScript. Therefore, sellers will still need to review their content before publishing.
Amazon is one of many companies expanding into generative AI. Other e-commerce brands, such as Shopify, have already launched artificial intelligence tools that can create product descriptions. Third-party startups also provide such services, although they lack the native integration of first-party platforms. Whatever they use, online sellers now have a number of options available to them to make their work more efficient.
While artificial intelligence is seeing broad integration across multiple industries, adoption has remained notably slow for such a disruptive innovation. The complete applications of artificial intelligence are still being determined as both new use cases and limitations are discovered. The uncertainty of what the technology can do, mixed with broader anxieties over workforce reductions and even privacy invasions, is likely causing some would-be proponents to hesitate.
However, while there are certainly consequences for widespread AI use that need closer inspection, the severity of these issues differs between groups. The possibility of technology replacing human employees is a genuine concern for employees of big corporations with massive labor bills: but small businesses tend to focus less on cost-savings and more on earnings. Mara Reiff, chief data officer at Freshbooks, recently told ASBN that entrepreneurs are more interested in using AI to augment their operations and boost productivity. “It’s about welcoming it into your environment and figuring out how it can make you better,” she explained. Artificial intelligence offers massive advantages for startups that may be less applicable to larger brands. Since many Amazon sellers are small businesses themselves, AI-generated product descriptions are likely to be extremely beneficial and may even become standard.
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