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Amazon Using Generative AI To Summarize Product Reviews (cnbc.com) 26

Amazon is turning to artificial intelligence to help users find the right product. From a report: The e-retailer recently began testing a feature in its shopping app that uses AI to summarize reviews left by customers on some products. It provides a brief overview of what shoppers liked and disliked about the product, along with a disclaimer that the summary is "AI-generated from the text of customer reviews." A mobile listing for a children's "Magic Mixies" cauldron toy says that buyers gave positive feedback around its "fun factor, appearance, value, performance, quality, charging, and leakage."

"However, the majority of customers have expressed negative opinions on these aspects," the summary states. "For example, some customers have paid over $100 for a toy that wasn't worth it, while others have experienced issues with the product's quality and charging." Amazon confirmed that it's testing the feature. The company didn't share specific details about it works or what AI models are being used to summarize.

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Amazon Using Generative AI To Summarize Product Reviews

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  • by CAIMLAS ( 41445 ) on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @04:43PM (#63599704)

    This will not be able to compete with the absolute hilarity of non-native-English-speaker translations on all the product material.

  • Which (Score:4, Funny)

    by oldgraybeard ( 2939809 ) on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @04:45PM (#63599714)
    makes reviews more worthless than they are now Thanks Amazon! Just as useless with AI.
  • by FlyingSquidStudios ( 1031284 ) on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @04:52PM (#63599744)
    But the truth is Skynet will just make everything shit.
  • Anyone feeling a tad bit burned out by AI tech? This might sound a bit hipsterish, but AI was much more interesting before it hit the mainstream. A lot more focus on solving actual problems, rather then pandering to folks too lazy to do some actual online research.

    Now you got these creepy finance types trying to shoehorn it in everything without really understanding what their consumer base wants.

    Seriously, this tech is going to kill the internet at the rate things are going. Nothing but AI-generated spam-c

    • by ZipNada ( 10152669 ) on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @05:12PM (#63599816)

      I expect Amazon eventually will use the AI to learn enough about you to completely customize their website to fit you (and manipulate you) when you visit it. Other people will see something completely different.

      • So even more invasive content recommendation systems designed to prey upon the vulnerable consumer psyche they helped cultivate in the first place. Yay /s.

        This is why I make a shopping list and stick with it through and through.

    • Like most AI generated content ... it could be done better and more easily by humans, but that would cost more ...

      the only reason they have not done this before was it was too expensive, not that they thought it was a bad idea (it is)

  • "It looks like this same exact product, listed under 12 different retailers with different names and the same photo from different angles has reviews ranging from 5* (30,328) to 3.4 (432). Reviews state the product is "super great husband love it" to "caught on fire and almost electrocuted my cat"

  • How about they use AI to identify hijacked products? This is where they have a product with good reviews, but then completely change the product to something else that now has a lot of highly rated reviews. You know, where you are looking at a bluetooth speaker, but then the reviews are for a lawnmower. Use AI to protect consumers from scams!
  • So many postings, so much hatred for Amazon.

    But so many people having the same complaint suggests ... people are still using it. Odd that.

    I used to work as an Amazon driver. Didn't like it, moved on, stopped using Amazon. Because they're abusive to their staff.

    • I'd love to "move on." But where?

      Walmart.com is the closets in terms of variety and selection. But it is also plagued by fake reviews, though overall it has far fewer reviews. So the review help isn't so good there either.

      Other sites may have a deep selection in one category, but that's annoying when the category is obscure.

      • Well, basically, I stopped buying stuff online. Not that I did much before. By the time you add delivery charges (whether explicit, or hidden in the base cost of [whatever]), they're no cheaper than crossing the road and walking to the supermarket, then walking back with [whatever].

        Don't, to misquote the 1990s, underestimate the bandwidth of a (re-usable) carrier bag full of groceries.

        • Well of course, for everyday staples, it's easy to find those things at the local supermarket or big box store. But when you need something more specific or unique, it's not so easy. Some examples that I've personally had to locate online:
          - A leather cover for the deteriorating steering wheel of my Honda Civic. Sure you can buy some generic steering wheel covers at Walmart or a car parts tore, but they don't actually fit YOUR car.
          - To reduce sunlight glare in my home office, I wanted to get pull-down one-wa

          • For less common items, it's really hard to find in local stores, even though I live in Houston.

            A large part of which is because everyone goes direct to Amazon (et al) to replace local experts in key-bodging, window fixtures etc with delivery drivers.

            If you want local specialist shops (and that includes computer gear shops), use them. Even if they're getting the parts online (with 20 items in one parcel, not 20 parcels to 17 addresses), you're increasing your odds of being able to get your system back up an

            • The items I mentioned aren't available in "local specialist shops" even in a city of 8 million.

              And no, I can't do without a car key. My car is a model that still has a metal shaft, with a plastic fob and chip attached. The way it broke made it impossible to turn the key in the ignition. You can get those key covers in local shops, but they're really expensive.

  • "Help users find the right product"? Gimme a break! If that's what Amazon wants to do, then it's simple and cheap - start searching based on ALL the words I enter, and treat them as literal. For example, if I'm looking for a DeWalt mitre saw, don't show me other brands or other types of saw. No DeWalt mitre saws? Then show me NOTHING.

    If you can't get over that ridiculously low bar, then obviously you don't give a shit about "the right product". So grow a pair and admit openly that you're just trying to sell

    • Hear hear. That plus the crapload of sponsored items on listing and product places - and now even video ads - is making it hard to find what you actually want at all.

      Now they even truncate the actual product description, requiring a hard to reach tap to open it, so you see 5 or 6 whole sections of sponsored items before the reviews. Ridiculous.

  • by shubus ( 1382007 ) on Tuesday June 13, 2023 @08:14PM (#63600372)
    This is going to be a fiasco as first we'll have AI generating fake product review then then Amazon's AI creating summaries of said reviews. We'll soon be laughing our socks off as this fiasco gets off the ground.
  • "summarize all the reviews and make it sound good while explaining away any deficiencies"

  • Or how about:

    - This product very excellent!
    - Quality is more really good.

What this country needs is a good five cent microcomputer.

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