"Messaging is faster with eBay.ai"

[merry-go-boy]

Full screen message came from eBay today about ai answering messages for you! 

There are only two choices to close the message:

         1.  (Maybe later)

         2. (Enable eBay.ai)

I needed a third choice like:

         3. (Never)

[12345jamesstamps]

It could be worse....someone from another country could be answering messages for you😆

[caldreamer]

Thanks for the laughs.   I agree with I hate having Ai put words in my mouth.

[steve_stuff]

The problem is ebay's gonna decide that EVERYBODY wants it and their gonna just add it as a 'we turned it on, you can turn off' option to the already messed up message system. And then six months later it gets turned back on with no opp out option.

Since their last batch of improvements I now have to open the email version of messages when I need that person's location to figure out shipping.

And the message that I'm replying to keeps getting covered by the reply I'm typing. I have to have another copy of message open to see what I'm responding to.

[roccotacodad54]

   Yes...never!

    My Email updated with a bunch of AI enabled crap and a whole different type format. I had to google how to find the hidden location of where to turn it off and get my old Email format back. "Are you sure you want to disable AI"..........Yes sure.....LOL

   I'm pretty sure eBay and my Email will just shove it down my/our throat(s) in time.

   I'm with others in that I don't want AI deciding anything for me.

   They seem to be trying to train us how not to think and to "Learn to forget"....................

[a_c_green]

---

@merry-go-boy wrote:

Full screen message came from eBay today about ai answering messages for you! 

There are only two choices to close the message:

         1.  (Maybe later)

         2. (Enable eBay.ai)

I needed a third choice like:

         3. (Never) (in a million years)

---

Fixed it for you. 😁

I can find so many mistakes in a typical AI item (e.g. generated descriptions on eBay, answers on Google, etc.) that there is no way that it's ready for prime time, and no way that I would ever trust it to respond accurately for my business with my customers. So it's a Hell No from me.

[valueaddedresource]

---

@steve_stuff wrote:

The problem is ebay's gonna decide that EVERYBODY wants it and their gonna just add it as a 'we turned it on, you can turn off' option to the already messed up message system. And then six months later it gets turned back on with no opp out option.

Since their last batch of improvements I now have to open the email version of messages when I need that person's location to figure out shipping.

And the message that I'm replying to keeps getting covered by the reply I'm typing. I have to have another copy of message open to see what I'm responding to.

---

@steve_stuff  you do have to explicitly opt in, the toggle to turn it off or on is easy to see/access, and the user has the opportunity to review the AI-generated response and decide whether or not to send it.

[valueaddedresource]

Personally, I thought this part was interesting - they say it's using 3rd party models but don't name which ones and have a disclaimer about eBay personnel being able to access and use the messages for specific reasons/activities.

eBay.ai is experimental and may suggest inaccurate or inappropriate responses. We’re using third-party generative AI models to provide this service. Authorized eBay personnel may access the messages you provide to resolve incidents, recover data, moderate content, and respond to feedback.

Please don’t share information you don’t want them to access. Please check our Privacy Notice.

While it doesn't explicitly say message content may be used for AI training, it does point to the Privacy Policy which auto-opted all users into having their data used for AI training a few months ago.

So if you don't want to us AI in messages and you also want to make sure your data is not used for AI training, you'll want to check your settings here:

https://accountsettings.ebay.com/ai-preferences

[estate_echoes]

---

@valueaddedresource wrote:

Personally, I thought this part was interesting - they say it's using 3rd party models but don't name which ones and have a disclaimer about eBay personnel being able to access and use the messages for specific reasons/activities.

eBay.ai is experimental and may suggest inaccurate or inappropriate responses. We’re using third-party generative AI models to provide this service. Authorized eBay personnel may access the messages you provide to resolve incidents, recover data, moderate content, and respond to feedback.

Please don’t share information you don’t want them to access. Please check our Privacy Notice.

While it doesn't explicitly say message content may be used for AI training, it does point to the Privacy Policy which auto-opted all users into having their data used for AI training a few months ago.

So if you don't want to us AI in messages and you also want to make sure your data is not used for AI training, you'll want to check your settings here:

https://accountsettings.ebay.com/ai-preferences

---

Thank you for this. I had opted in to AI Messages for entertainment purposes, without realizing this. Its bad enough trusting eBay AI with so much info... but to trust unknown third party AI models?  Surprised we can be legally auto-opted in to share so much info in such a sketchy manner. Not to mention the data breach possibilities...

[a_c_green]

---

@valueaddedresource wrote:

Personally, I thought this part was interesting - they say it's using 3rd party models but don't name which ones and have a disclaimer about eBay personnel being able to access and use the messages for specific reasons/activities.

---

Actually I thought eBay personnel had access to our messages anyway...? It's their platform, of course, plus when disputes break out between buyer and seller, my recollection was that they are able to see who said what in previous message exchanges.

---

@valueaddedresource wrote:

So if you don't want to us AI in messages and you also want to make sure your data is not used for AI training, you'll want to check your settings here:

---

To be honest, I don't much care if they're using my messages to buyers for "training" in some manner. I like to think I'm setting a good example. 😁

[valueaddedresource]

---

@a_c_green wrote:

---

@valueaddedresource wrote:

Personally, I thought this part was interesting - they say it's using 3rd party models but don't name which ones and have a disclaimer about eBay personnel being able to access and use the messages for specific reasons/activities.

---

Actually I thought eBay personnel had access to our messages anyway...? It's their platform, of course, plus when disputes break out between buyer and seller, my recollection was that they are able to see who said what in previous message exchanges.

---

@valueaddedresource wrote:

So if you don't want to us AI in messages and you also want to make sure your data is not used for AI training, you'll want to check your settings here:

---

To be honest, I don't much care if they're using my messages to buyers for "training" in some manner. I like to think I'm setting a good example. 😁

---

@a_c_green  yeah I always assumed they had access any way, but adding AI in could give more access than people have been previously comfortable assuming/accepting and/or some may not have a problem with a human having that access for limited reasons but not be OK with having AI models potentially training on it.

It's all personal preference but people can only exercise that preference when they are A.) aware that something may be happening and B.) aware of the options to stop that thing from happening, if they want to - so since eBay doesn't draw a lot of attention to that AI preference page, I figured I would. 😊

[fern*wood]

I can just imagine AI answering a question about my item like this "...it is a must-have".

[valueaddedresource]

I had another seller who was willing to help with a test to see how it works - so far it actually seems to do pretty well with questions that are easily answered from data contained in the listing.

That may seem silly or redundant but could at least help with the perennial problem of answering questions from buyers who either don't read the description or weren't shown the description by eBay (on the app, quick views etc.)

For example, the AI correctly answered the volume in oz of the advertised product (which is stated in the title, item specifics, and description) and also correctly provided the same shipping cost and estimated delivery time to a particular zip code that the buyer would have seen if they had looked at the shipping details on the listing.

The suggested AI generated response shows only to the seller and they can choose to either dismiss it or "edit & send", which then copies the answer into the text box where it can be edited, then sent with a click of the blue button.

Interestingly, while the seller view clearly identifies the text as being generated with eBay.AI, the buyer view does not contain any such disclaimers.

That indicates eBay believes that since the seller is provided the opportunity to edit the text, the seller assumes all responsibility for what it says and thus there is no responsibility on eBay's part to disclose the use of AI in the process.

But that doesn't mean sellers shouldn't maybe disclose that use themselves and it definitely does mean that should any of the information provided in the AI answer be incorrect, it will be the seller who is deemed at fault in any disputes or claims.

[gator08041971]

I'm so sick of Ai getting injected into everything.

I was cursing out my Adobe reader because it keeps wanting me to try its Ai features!  All I want that thing to do is open the file so I can look at it or print it.  I don't need it to provide a summary of the document.

I saw this switch on my eBay today:

This popped up on the left next to the list of messages in the main message window:

And now when you send a buyer a message from the order page, it no longer opens the full screen message panel, you get that tiny off to the right vertical column message panel!  UGH.

Not everyone wants to use a phone to do work on eBay!

[winterpalace25]

Agreed. eBay AI has such an off-putting style when it writes descriptions and they all sound alike. Maybe they should use that "third party" AI for descriptions. 

It couldn't be any worse.