Amazon is tightening its rules on AI-generated content in marketplace listings, requiring third-party sellers to disclose images and videos featuring photorealistic AI-generated people following a new New York law aimed at increasing transparency in advertising.
New Disclosure Standards For Sellers
Amazon has introduced new disclosure requirements for third-party sellers. Under the new rules, sellers must apply specific metadata tags to images and “A+ content,” the company’s enhanced listing materials, including videos and graphics, before uploading them.
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“Recent legislation requires disclosure when images or videos in advertisements contain photorealistic AI-generated people,” Amazon said.
New York Law Drives The Change
The policy follows a New York law that took effect last month, requiring advertisers to disclose when “synthetic performers” replace human actors. The measure applies to digitally created media that appears to depict a real person.
Governor Kathy Hochul described the legislation as the first of its kind in the United States.
“Without notice that the content the public is viewing is not real, AI-generated synthetic performers and manipulated media can undermine one’s ability to accurately distill fact from fiction,” her office said.
What The Policy Covers
Amazon said the requirement does not apply to TV, movie or video game characters, or to images of real people modified using AI.
The company will also display a label on eligible listings to notify shoppers when images or other content include AI-generated people. It has not disclosed the criteria it will use to determine when the label will appear.
AI’s Expanding Role Across Amazon
The move comes as Amazon continues to expand AI across its marketplace.
The company has optimized product listings for AI-powered search, expanded its recently rebranded Alexa for Shopping assistant, and introduced search features that generate product recommendations based on user queries.
Third-party sellers, who account for more than 60% of marketplace sales, are also increasingly using AI, including Amazon’s own tools, to create product descriptions, images and other listing content.
Regulation Is Gathering Pace
The United States has no federal requirement for AI disclosure in advertising, leaving states and platforms to introduce their own rules.
California recently began requiring major AI providers to embed watermarks in AI-generated images, videos and other content. Meta, TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube have also introduced labels for AI-generated material.
Questions over enforcement remain. TikTok and Meta have faced criticism for inconsistently labeling advertisements featuring AI-generated influencers promoting questionable products, in some cases without brands’ knowledge. TikTok says it has removed accounts making misleading health claims, while Meta says it labels AI-generated videos.
