eBay Unveils a New AI Tool That Generates Product Listings From Photos
(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
In a remarkable leap forward, eBay has introduced a groundbreaking upgrade to its listing experience, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform how sellers interact with the platform. This innovative AI-driven listing tool simplifies the process of creating item listings on eBay by analyzing and extrapolating information from a limited dataset provided by sellers.
The initial version of this feature allowed sellers to input a listing title and category and then offered the option to utilize generative AI to generate item descriptions. The response to this initial release has been overwhelmingly positive, with approximately 30% of U.S. sellers using the eBay app trying the feature as of late July. Impressively, over 95% of those who experimented with the AI-generated descriptions, even after making edits, chose to use them. Customer satisfaction (CSAT) for this experience soared to over 80%, ranking among the highest CSAT scores for recent feature launches.
“These AI description tools were merely a first step on our path towards seamless, magical listings. We’re thrilled to reveal the next version of this magical listing tool, which takes the old adage ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ and makes it literal,” the company wrote in their recent blog post.
eBay's journey into AI integration has been ongoing, incorporating various AI technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, and computer vision into its platform over the years. With recent advancements in generative AI, which enables AI algorithms to create text, images, and videos, eBay has swiftly integrated Azure's OpenAI technologies into its marketplace. The aim is to make the buying and selling process on eBay as seamless as possible.
The latest iteration of eBay's magical listing tool takes a literal interpretation of the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words." This image-based magical listing tool, currently available for iOS users, allows sellers to capture or upload a photo within the eBay app. AI then takes over, automatically generating item details, including titles, descriptions, and essential information like release dates, specific categories, and sub-categories. Furthermore, eBay's technology collaborates with AI to recommend suitable listing prices and shipping costs. This innovation effectively addresses the "cold start" challenge faced by first-time sellers, eliminating the complexity of creating a competitive listing.
On top of simplifying the listing process, eBay has enhanced its background removal tool, a critical factor for sellers' success. This tool improves image quality by removing backgrounds, creating a cleaner and more appealing presentation of products to potential buyers.
