Etsy Bans AI-Generated Recipes and Patterns From Its Marketplace

Etsy will no longer let sellers sell AI-generated recipes and patterns, the company said Thursday, part of a broader effort to set clearer rules for artificial intelligence on the platform.

In a blog post, Etsy said it is banning the sale of AI-created "functional guides" - patterns, cooking recipes and instructions, typically sold as digital downloads such as crochet or sewing patterns that buyers use to make a finished product.

Sellers must also show an actual item made using the instructions rather than an AI-generated or simulated result, "so buyers know what to expect," Etsy said.

In a separate notice to sellers, the company said the changes respond to eroding trust: many active buyers say they can't tell which items involve AI-generated content, which has become a top-three barrier to shopping more often on Etsy. Sellers have also raised concerns about their work appearing alongside items that use AI in misleading ways.

Etsy is additionally barring sellers from creating bot-generated listings without human involvement and requiring at least one unedited photo of the actual item for sale.

AI-generated art will still be allowed as long as merchants play a clear role in what they create and are transparent about the process, Etsy said. Sellers must disclose when an item is made using AI and cannot misrepresent AI-generated work as handmade or entirely their own creation.

Founded in 2005, Etsy is known for craft makers and artisan goods, a reputation it has leaned on while battling an influx of generic, mass-produced items from resellers and competition from Amazon, Walmart, TikTok, Temu and Shein. AI-made crochet patterns and other AI "slop" have presented a newer challenge, and Amazon recently began requiring sellers to label photos or videos featuring AI-generated people.

Even as it cracks down on AI in listings, Etsy has been putting the technology to wider use across its site, building detailed shopper profiles and surfacing relevant products in search results. It has also partnered with OpenAI on shopping features, including a ChatGPT app for product discovery.