Etsy bans AI-generated recipes, patterns from its online marketplace
Etsy is banning the sale of AI-generated functional guides, such as recipes and craft patterns, to maintain platform trust and transparency. Sellers must now prove human involvement in their creations and provide unedited photos of physical items.
Why it matters
This move highlights the growing tension between AI-generated content and the 'handmade' value proposition of artisan marketplaces.
Etsy said Thursday it will no longer allow merchants to sell AI-generated recipes and patterns on its online marketplace, as part of a wider push to set firmer rules around the use of artificial intelligence on its platform.
In a blog post , Etsy said it's banning the sale of "functional guides" that are created using AI, including patterns, cooking recipes and instructions. The products are usually marketed as digital downloads, such as crochet or sewing patterns. Users then "put in effort to achieve a finished product," the company said.
Sellers will also be required to show an actual item made using the instructions, not an AI-generated or simulated result, "so buyers know what to expect," Etsy said.
Etsy said in a separate notice to sellers that it was making the changes as AI threatens to erode buyers' and sellers' trust in the platform.
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