eBay's AI Description vs. META AI.

[ten_o_nine]

My description for the product

Coast Guard USCGC Kiska (WPB-1336) Baseball Cap Hat. Size S/M

eBay's AI

Show off your support for the United States Coast Guard with this stylish Northstar baseball cap. Featuring a solid black color and adjustable snapback, this unisex hat is perfect for both men and women. The hat is adorned with the USCGC Kiska logo, making it a great accessory for fans of the vessel. Made in Cambodia, this high-quality baseball cap is perfect for everyday wear and is a great addition to any hat collection. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just looking for a new favorite hat, this Northstar baseball cap is sure to impress. Get yours today and show off your support for the Coast Guard!

META AI

Show your pride in the Coast Guard's mighty Kiska (WPB-1336) cutter with this sharp-looking baseball cap! Perfect for sailors, veterans, and anyone who loves the Coast Guard, this cap features the ship's name and hull number embroidered on the front, and the Coast Guard emblem on the back. The Kiska, a 110-foot Island-class patrol boat, has served with distinction in the Pacific and Caribbean, conducting search and rescue missions, interdicting drug smugglers, and protecting our nation's waters. Wear this cap to show your respect for the Kiska's crew and the Coast Guard's vital mission. Size S/M fits most adult heads.

I like META AI description better, what do you think?

[sapphire_studio]

Yeah I like the META one better

[chapeau-noir]

I like the second one better, though I'd double check the Kiska's service history - META isn't exactly always accurate.

[fm2000]

To be honest, both are cringeworthy due to the unnatural and stilted (and flowery) language they include ("get yours today, "sure to impress" etc.), though the latter is not nearly as bad as eBay's AI (and at least they tried to give some background on the vessel, which eBay's AI didn't.)

These AI description programs really need to drop all that unnecessary flowery language and stick to the facts of an item.

[chapeau-noir]

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@fm2000 wrote:

To be honest, both are cringeworthy due to the unnatural and stilted (and flowery) language they include ("get yours today, "sure to impress" etc.), though the latter is not nearly as bad as eBay's AI (and at least they tried to give some background on the vessel, which eBay's AI didn't.)

These AI description programs really need to drop all that unnecessary flowery language and stick to the facts of an item.

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It's what AI scrapes from the internet, and that flowery language is typical advertising yak. 

[a_c_green]

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@ten_o_nine wrote:

I like META AI description better, what do you think?

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I tend to tune out as soon as I realize I'm reading an AI description, because it means that the seller could not be bothered to write it, so I'd need to verify all the claims made within that sea of verbiage. 

Okay, of the two examples you gave, the Meta AI version is a little more detailed and less "flowery" (which seems to be the biggest problem of eBay's AI). But as a buyer, I can do my own research on the Kiska; we're really just talking about an embroidered baseball cap. I think I'd be more interested in some reassurance that the Coast Guard really does buy their caps from Cambodia, and that this isn't just some generic creation from a cap factory.

[reallynicestamps]

What size is it? What are the measurements? What is it made of?

[ekmadonna]

Neither, they both sound like a desperate new car salesman!

[itsjustasprain]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

What size is it? What are the measurements? What is it made of?

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Description says that it is S/M. Zooming in on the tag in photo 2 it appears that it is made of '96% Breathable Cotton and 4% Spandex'.

Item specifics say that it is a black cap with snapback adjustment but it looks more like a dark blue cap with elastic adjustment to me.

[reallynicestamps]

None of which is mentioned by AI.

Or in Item Specifics which are supposed to be how our listings are picked up by SEOs and Google.

I'm amazed that tiny red letters on a white background upside down are readable at all.

How many fingers are on the cap?

[broto_64]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

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@fm2000 wrote:

These AI description programs really need to drop all that unnecessary flowery language and stick to the facts of an item.

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It's what AI scrapes from the internet, and that flowery language is typical advertising yak. 

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In all fairness typical advertising could do without it, too.

How, in over 100 years, these companies haven't figured that out...

[itsjustasprain]

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@reallynicestamps wrote:

I'm amazed that tiny red letters on a white background upside down are readable at all.

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I have a big desktop monitor. I doubt someone on a phone would be able to read it.

Incidentally - this does not appear to be a Northstar cap despite what the Item specifics and descriptions say. Northstars are made in the US. Nu-Fit caps (which this one appears to be) are made in Cambodia.

[bennotbill]

Both read like the makers blurb, and lack a proper description of the item.

[lux.ra_14]

Close encounter of the athletic kind ...

That and other wretched wording appeared in sports stories when the Gannett newspaper chain experimented with having AI write up local games. 

The theory was good: Too many games and not enough reporters to cover them all. Just have AI compile the scores and stats. But readers quickly noticed the stories were filled with stilted wording, relied on repetitive phrases and cliches, and failed to mention the names of any players. 

The experiment has been "paused." AI didn't cut it. The robots turned out to be too ... robotic.

[pls-consignments]

AI descriptions are way too risky for me as a full-time seller of collectibles. Due to the "unnatural and flowery" language, I would find myself spending extra time reading and proofing the description so as to prevent unnecessary INAD's. I've been using simple, straight-forward templates for 25 years and it's worked just fine.