Good News: Over 96% of eBay & Lazada Reviews were Human-Written in 2024

When it comes to shopping online, many people head straight to one place to decide whether or not to buy.

No, it’s not necessarily the brand’s ‘story’ or even the product descriptions — it’s the customer reviews.

For new customers, reading first-hand experiences from others can build trust in a brand and even encourage them to make a purchase.

But only when those reviews are real, trustworthy, and genuine. Three things that are brought into question when generative AI is relied on too heavily.

In this study, we look at how prevalent AI-generated reviews are in two large e-commerce brands, Lazada and eBay. 

Is AI content rising in their customer review systems, or do they have a handle on the influx of generative AI?

Objectives of the Study

• The aim of these studies was to uncover the rate of AI-generated reviews on both eBay and Lazada.
• We wanted to track whether the rate was increasing yearly, most notably since the introduction of ChatGPT in 2022.
• We also wanted to see whether these platforms might have been managing a potential rise in AI-generated reviews.

Key Takeaways (TL;DR)

• As of 2024, over 96% of eBay and Lazada reviews are human-written
  
  • In 2024, 2.65% of eBay reviews were Likely AI
  • In 2024, 3.72% of Lazada reviews were Likely AI
  • Note: These percentages are in line with false positive rates in AI detection.
• While the majority of eBay and Lazada reviews remain human-written, the rate of AI content is still increasing on these platforms:
  
  • 2018 to 2024: AI eBay reviews increased by 419.6%
  • 2019 to 2024: AI Lazada reviews increased by 409%
• It will be important to monitor these platforms to see if the trend continues.

AI Reviews on eBay and Lazada Increase — Yet the Majority Are Still Human-Written

After studying the percentage of AI reviews on both eBay and Lazada, we were pleasantly surprised.

AI reviews are increasing rapidly across a number of e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress, Flipkart, and the Alibaba Shopping App.

However, our findings and research on eBay and Lazada indicate that while AI review content is rising (by over 400% during the periods studied for each platform), the majority of reviews are still human-written. 

First, let’s take a closer look at the rate of AI content on each of these platforms:

2018 to 2024: AI eBay reviews rise, yet most remain human-written

To study the presence of AI content on eBay, we analyzed reviews from 2018 to 2024:

• In 2018, only 0.51% of all reviews were identified as AI-generated. This relatively low baseline is consistent with the limited access to generative AI tools at the time. 
• By 2019, this rate had nearly doubled to 0.92% and continued to increase in 2020, reaching 1.13% (but was still at a low level).
• In 2021, a dip was observed, where the AI review rate dropped to 0.90%. This fluctuation may reflect changes in user behavior or platform policy adjustments.
• From 2022 onward, while the percentage of AI content increased, it still remained relatively low:
  
  • 2022: The rate jumped to 1.42%
  • 2023: A modest increase to 1.46%  
  • 2024: Continued climbing to 2.65%

The increase in AI content from 2022 onward likely reflects the widespread release and adoption of advanced AI writing tools, including chatbots and generators. 

When viewed over the entire study period (2018–2024), the proportion of AI-generated reviews increased from 0.51% to 2.65%. This represents an overall 419.6% increase.

The key takeaway for eBay? While the rate of AI reviews on eBay is increasing, the majority of reviews as of 2024 are still human-written.

2019 to 2024: AI Lazada reviews rise, yet most are human-written

The results are similar when looking at Lazada. 

The data reveals a consistent upward trend in the prevalence of AI reviews on Lazada from 2019 to 2024:

• In 2019, the proportion of AI-generated reviews was relatively low at 0.73%.
• However, this figure gradually increased:
  
  • 2020: The rate of AI reviews on Lazada reached 0.78%
  • 2021: A moderate increase to 0.93%
  • 2022: A slow but steady rise to 1.37%
  • 2023: The AI review rate climbed to 1.95%
  • 2024: AI reviews on Lazada were at 3.72%

This represents a 409% increase in the rate of AI-generated reviews from 2019 to 2024. 

Similar to our findings with eBay, the prevalence of AI reviews is increasing on Lazada. However, by 2024, the reviews are still mostly human-written.

In 2024, eBay and Lazada Reviews are over 96% Human-Written

As of 2024, 2.65% of eBay reviews are Likely AI, and 3.72% of Lazada reviews are Likely AI. 

This means that in 2024, over 96% of reviews on eBay and Lazada are human-written.

While both platforms have shown a noticeable rise in the last two years, the overall percentage of AI reviews in 2024 remains low, which was a pleasant surprise.

Both companies will need to ensure they maintain vigilance in their generative AI checks, but if they do, it will provide each of them with a competitive edge in the age of AI.

A Note on False Positives

The rate of AI reviews on both eBay and Lazada is low and falls within the range of false positives in AI detection.

False positives in AI detection happen when human-written content is identified as AI-generated.

At Originality.ai:

• Our Lite model offers an under 1% false positive rate
• Our Turbo model has an under 3% false positive rate

So, in this context, the 2.65% of eBay AI reviews and 3.72% of Lazada AI reviews are in line with AI detection false positive rates.

Find out which AI detection model is best for your use case.

Note: False positive rates can vary by AI detection model and company.

What is the Impact of These Findings for Consumers?

The proportion of AI reviews on eBay (2.65%) and Lazada (3.72%) remains relatively low.

Ensuring that customer trust and authenticity remain extremely strong and that reviews can be read with confidence on both websites is critical for e-commerce platforms.

This data indicates that both companies may be taking positive steps to moderate AI-generated reviews, such as through AI detection software. 

This trend will need to be monitored in time to see if the platforms continue to show signs of moderating AI content.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this study shows that while there is an increase in AI-generated reviews for both brands, Lazada and eBay also show signs of managing the amount of AI-generated content.

There is a significant need for businesses to maintain their integrity and credibility by ensuring reviews are from real users and reflect their authentic experiences. It’s a positive sign that the levels of AI content in eBay and Lazada reviews are still low.

For brands that are seeking ways to tackle and identify AI reviews, moderation tools such as the Originality.ai AI Checker can help maintain transparency.

To maintain authenticity with users and clients, businesses must consider:

• Proactive steps to detect AI-generated content.
• Utilizing trustworthy AI detection tools during the publication phase.
• Implementing policy updates that tackle the ethical implications of automated content.

Do you have concerns over whether a post or review you’re reading might be AI-generated? Use the Originality.ai AI detector to find out.

Read more about the impact of AI on online platforms: 

• Is That Healthcare Clinic Review You’re Reading Fake?
• 376.3% Increase in AI Glassdoor Reviews for S&P 500 Companies: 2022 to 2024
• Good News: Health and Wellness Product Reviews Are Mostly Human-Written
• From 2019 to 2024: AI-generated Google Reviews Increased by 279.2%
• Fake AI Airbnb Reviews Increased By 209% From 2020 to 2024
• Amount of AI Content in Google Search Results

Methodology

eBay

This study used a quantitative, exploratory approach to analyze AI-generated reviews on the eBay mobile app from 2018 to 2024. A structured dataset included review texts, timestamps, and AI-detection labels to track trends in synthetic content.

• Data Collection: Reviews contained timestamps (at) and binary labels (is_ai_generated), indicating whether they were flagged as AI-generated (1) or human-written (0).
• AI Detection: Originality.ai, an AI detection tool, classified reviews. Reviews exceeding a set threshold were labeled as AI-generated.
• Data Processing: Timestamps were converted to Python datetime objects and grouped by year. The mean of is_ai_generated per year represented the annual rate of AI-generated content. Invalid entries were excluded.
• Visualization: A line chart showed yearly trends, while a pie chart illustrated the 2024 AI vs. human review distribution. 

Lazada

This study used a quantitative, exploratory approach to examine AI-generated reviews on the Lazada app from 2019 to 2024. A structured dataset containing review texts, timestamps, and AI detection results was analyzed to identify trends in AI-generated content over time.

• Data and Detection: Reviews included timestamps and a binary label (is_ai_generated) indicating whether they were flagged by Originality.ai, a tool that detects AI-written content.
• Processing and Analysis: Timestamps were converted into datetime objects to extract the year for annual aggregation. Invalid entries were removed. The yearly mean of AI-generated reviews was calculated.
• Visualization: A line chart displayed trends from 2019 to 2024, while a pie chart highlighted the 2024 proportion of AI- vs. human-generated reviews.

The study demonstrates a method for tracking synthetic content on digital platforms using automated detection and time-based analysis, contributing to discussions on content authenticity in e-commerce.