AI-Generated Sales Videos on E-commerce Platforms Cause Confusion and Losses for Merchants
AI-generated promotional videos are increasingly prevalent on e-commerce platforms. However, these videos are proving detrimental to product owners and sellers.
These AI-based videos frequently display incorrect information, alter the original appearance of goods, and mislead potential buyers. This is the reality faced by Xie Shi Min, a Singaporean author who was shocked to find a promotional video for her book on Shopee featuring a cover illustration different from the original. One notable change was a sword on the cover, which had been replaced by a staff.
Furthermore, an AI avatar in the video claimed that buyers could smell durian from the pages of the book, even though the word ‘durante’ was only mentioned briefly and was unrelated to the book’s plot. Other erroneous information included the book’s target audience; the video suggested it was for children, whereas the actual content deals with intergenerational trauma and violence.
“The book cover, which was designed with great care, has been ruined in this manner. Seeing my work arbitrarily altered by AI feels like an insult,” said Xie Shi Min, as quoted by Channel News Asia.
Koh Wan Yi, owner of the paper product design studio Helumi, has experienced similar issues. She discovered AI videos featuring her annual calendars and stickers circulating on TikTok Shop. However, the products were displayed in exaggerated sizes and incorrect colours, leading to customer disappointment when the actual goods arrived.
Some videos even appear in foreign languages. Koh has requested that TikTok block the video creators, but she was advised to disable the ‘open collaboration’ feature instead. However, doing so would cut off access for all content creators, including those who collaborate legitimately.
Epigram Books, a publishing house, has reported 10 problematic videos since March 2024. Six months later, there is still no certainty regarding the fate of these videos, and even more similar AI videos have appeared to replace those that were blocked.
Shopee stated that product videos can contain content from various sources, including user-generated content and AI. Sellers are encouraged to report content that violates policies. However, there has been no clarification on whether sellers are notified when AI videos are placed on their product pages, nor is there an option provided to delete or replace them.
TikTok Shop has also addressed the issue, stating that AI content is subject to community guidelines and can be reported if it is found to be misleading.