Amazon is now requiring third-party sellers on its platform to clearly label any product images or videos that feature “AI-generated people.” This move comes in the wake of New York State’s recently enacted law, which mandates greater transparency regarding the use of “synthetic performers” in advertisements.
The e-commerce giant communicated this policy update to its sellers on Wednesday. The new directive mandates that sellers tag images and any “A+ content” – which encompasses videos and other graphical elements displayed on product listing pages – with specific metadata keywords prior to uploading them.
“Recent legislation requires disclosure when images or videos in advertisements contain photorealistic AI-generated people,” Amazon stated in its announcement.
The New York law, effective last month, obligates companies to disclose when “synthetic performers” are utilized in place of human actors in advertising. This legislation specifically pertains to “digitally-created media that appear as a real person.” Governor Kathy Hochul has lauded this as a “first-in-the-nation” law, emphasizing its significance in distinguishing between reality and artificially created content. Hochul’s office articulated that “Without notice that the content the public is viewing is not real, AI-generated synthetic performers and manipulated media can undermine one’s ability to accurately distill fact from fiction.”
Amazon has clarified that this disclosure requirement does not extend to content featuring established characters from television, video games, or movies, nor does it apply to content featuring real individuals, even if those images have undergone AI-driven alterations. The company indicated it will implement an “indicator” on listings where AI-generated people are present in images or other content, alerting consumers to this fact. The precise criteria Amazon will employ to determine when to display these labels to shoppers remains to be seen.
This policy shift underscores Amazon’s aggressive integration of artificial intelligence across its operations. The company is leveraging AI to optimize listing titles and descriptions for enhanced discoverability by AI systems. Furthermore, it has invested in rebranding its AI assistant as “Alexa for Shopping” and has introduced a feature that dynamically populates its search bar with AI-generated product recommendations based on real-time user queries.
The increasing reliance on AI by third-party sellers for generating text, images, and other listing content is a growing trend, partly facilitated by Amazon’s own AI tools. These independent sellers form a critical pillar of Amazon’s merchandise sales, contributing more than 60% of the products sold on its marketplace.
Currently, there is no overarching federal legislation in the United States compelling companies to disclose AI-generated content in advertising. However, individual states are beginning to implement their own transparency measures. Earlier this year, California mandated that major AI providers embed watermarks within AI-generated images, videos, and other forms of content.
Other major digital platforms are also actively addressing the proliferation of AI-generated content. Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube have all implemented AI-generated content labels for videos and images uploaded to their platforms. These measures come amidst growing scrutiny, particularly concerning TikTok and Meta, for perceived shortcomings in labeling advertisements featuring AI-generated influencers promoting potentially dubious products, sometimes without the explicit knowledge of the brands they represent. TikTok has stated its commitment to banning accounts that disseminate misleading health claims, while Meta maintains its labeling protocols for AI-driven videos.
The implications of AI-generated content in e-commerce and advertising are multifaceted. For sellers, AI offers a powerful, cost-effective tool for creating compelling marketing materials at scale. However, the potential for misinformation and the erosion of consumer trust, especially when AI-generated personas are used deceptively, presents a significant challenge. Amazon’s new labeling requirement signals a proactive approach to managing this evolving landscape, aiming to strike a balance between harnessing the benefits of AI and ensuring transparency for its vast consumer base. This regulatory push at the state level, coupled with platform-specific policies, indicates a broader societal effort to establish ethical guidelines for the burgeoning field of generative AI.
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