Etsy Makes It Easy to Tell If a Seller Is Using Artificial Intelligence
Like Facebook and Instagram , Etsy is currently facing an influx of AI-generated junk . But unlike those platforms, Etsy makes money by getting products into people’s hands. The company appears to be trying to get ahead of the problem with new labels to help shoppers better distinguish handmade or vintage goods from AI-generated trash.
In a post explaining the new ” Creativity Standards ” published today, Etsy CEO Josh Silverman outlined a new requirement for sellers to label their products based on how involved they were in their production. For example, a hand-knitted scarf will require a different label than a set of stickers created using AI-generated images.
How Etsy will label products created by artificial intelligence
The four labels include Made, Handpicked, Source, and Designed, and sellers can get into trouble if they use the wrong label. The first three labels will cover more traditional Etsy products, such as “handpicked” vintage clothing, “purchased” party supplies, or “made” jewelry. This is a “Developed” label aimed at AI.
While Silverman’s blog post simply states that a product included in the “Designed” category must be “developed by the seller,” Etsy’s updated “Seller Guide ” states that sellers using this label can “use their original tips combined with artificial intelligence tools to create the artwork they want.” sell on Etsy.”
So while AI is not banned, it is more clearly differentiated. However, those selling designed work that does not use artificial intelligence, such as original digital artwork or 3D prints made with the help of a third-party production partner, would fall under the same category.
Etsy says that “sellers must indicate in their listing description whether the item is created using artificial intelligence,” although buyers will have to click through to see that language. It’s also unclear how Etsy’s process for detecting and punishing violators will work.
“Keep commerce humane”
“We’re not allowing new items that we’ve banned before,” Silverman’s post explains, but one type of AI-related product is getting the axe: Etsy currently has pages listing AI clues that sell for between $1 and $200 dollars, and it looks like the platform has had enough – a new rule in the Seller’s Guide states: “We do not allow products that simply offer hint packages.”
Etsy’s handcrafted approach sets it apart in many ways from stores like Shein and Temu, so it makes sense that the company would want to install some fencing. While the message in Silverman’s announcement and the new Seller’s Guide is fairly non-confrontational, the large “Keep Commerce Human” banner at the top of the ad makes clear the company’s frustration with AI.