GenAI

We use AI to superpower the user experience, so we can celebrate—not replace—the human experience on eBay. This framework is rooted in our eBay Responsible AI principles, and it aims to ground our design thinking in honoring and preserving the community we’ve built, while embracing AI in responsible and transparent ways.

Considerations

Extend human capabilities

We use AI as a tool to build enhanced experiences that proactively anticipate someone’s goals in personalized and meaningful ways.

Empower human agency

We give people control over their AI-powered experiences through transparency and awareness.

Ensure accessibility

We design AI-powered experiences that can be used and understood by a diverse group of people of all abilities.

Champion inclusivity

We mitigate prejudice and bias when using GAI to create new images, videos, or texts with a human in the loop.

Uphold accuracy

We confront the uncanny valley and spread of inaccurate information when using GAI through analysis, testing, and planning.

Iterate responsibly

We engage in a system of checks and balances with our XFN partners, so we can move fast and fix things.

Disclosing GenAI

Disclosing GenAI is a crucial aspect of responsible AI development. It empowers users, builds trust, and promotes accountability. Our confidence in the content generated and the risk it may create for eBay will determine the disclosure used as well as its placement and prominence. Most GenAI experiences will have one disclosure but some may have a combination.

Today, we use two types of disclosures in-product: labels and disclaimers

Labels

Labels are single strings of text coupled with eBay.ai and the full spectrum icon. They lead with a past tense verb to simply articulate how GenAI modified content. We use labels when confidence is high and risk is low.

We have a limited set of pre-approved labels available as components, including: Generated with eBay.ai, Curated with eBay.ai, Summarized by eBay.ai, and Set by eBay.ai. If you have a unique use case that falls outside of these options, please reach out to the content design team.

Generated

“Generated with eBay.ai” is used when net-new content is created using GenAI (e.g. Listing descriptions)

Curated

“Curated with eBay.ai” is used when items or recs are thematically grouped using GenAI (e.g. Shop the look)

Set

“Set by eBay.ai” is used when limits or preferences are suggested using GenAI (e.g. setting ad rates)

Disclaimers

Disclaimers are used when confidence is lower and risk is higher. They typically vary based on the product experience, and may or may not include links to solicit feedback or our user privacy notice (UPN). This content should always be drafted by content design and product counsel.

Text only

Use a single string of text to inform the user about broad limitations of the tool or tech.

With feedback link

Use max 2 sentences to inform the user about broad limitations of the tool or tech, plus a link to solicit feedback on their experience.

With legal links

Use max 2 sentences to highlight specific risks around accuracy, privacy, or ethical concerns. If we're collecting user data, you must include a link to UPN.

Voice and tone

Our eBay voice is the personification of our brand, and AI-generated content follows our voice and tone guidelines. Consistency and cohesion build trust and comprehension, so whether you’re reading something written by a person or AI, it should sound the same.

And, as always, the tone should modulate to meet the situation.

Decibel levels

When introducing customers to GenAI in product, we use multiple levels of volume. For tactical moments when we have lower confidence in GenAI content, we use labels with short strings and a small icon to ensure transparency and reduce risk. For assistive moments where eBay.ai is directly helping a user accomplish a task, we use a larger icon and natural language. And for education or introduction moments when we have high confidence, we use bolder color and motion to give eBay.ai some personality and take credit for it’s work.

Look and feel

Color

We use a custom, gradient color spectrum to visually inform users that GenAI is present in the product experience. These colors represent the diversity of our marketplace and the endless possibilities of GenAI. Depending on the context, color can be full opacity or less, temporal or consistent, subtle or strong.

Subtle gradients

We use subtle gradients when introducing GenAI features as backgrounds and in skeleton loading states. They should be comprised of two neighboring colors in the spectrum. You can also alternate the colors used throughout a page or flow.

Strong gradients

We use strong gradient outlines when introducing prompts, appearing as a gradient color and then fading to a border default in its rest state.

Spectrum icon

The spectrum is another visual device used to convey that GenAI is at work on the user’s behalf. There are three sizes of two variants—filled and outlined.

Filled

Outlined

Filled icon

The filled spectrum icon in full color should be used in most contexts. It shows up before a string of content if GenAI hasn’t happened yet, or after a string of content if it already has.

Outlined icon

When a GenAI tool or feature is an option in a list, like in menus or quick filters, use the outlined version for consistency with the surrounding icons. The “16 thin” version should only be used in nav pills like those at the top of the homepage.

Radius

Buttons

Buttons and avatars are fully round.

Images

Toggle buttons and images have a 16px radius.

Chat

Prompts and chat bubbles have 3 rounded corners and one squared corner.

Patterns

Introducing GenAI features

Education cards and sheets provide users a short description of a feature with a visual connection to the icon. They can use the spectrum with background gradient or the spectrum on its own.

Keep titles to max 1 line and subtext max 2 lines. CTAs or buttons should have max 3 words.

Assisting in tasks

Assistant modules offer guidance and ingresses into GenAI tools or features. They utilize the filled spectrum and could be shown alongside relevant prompts to help customers narrow down their search.

Asking for feedback

We should (and in some cases are be required to) give our users a way to tell us if GenAI tools, features, or content is inaccurate, irrelevant, or offensive.

Depending on the context, you can use a text link, an overflow menu, or show thumbs up/down icons directly in an experience to solicit feedback. Text links are best if we want more detailed info on a full experience via SEEK survey where as thumbs up /down icons can give us more specific feedback on a response or image.

When using the thumbs up/down icon, use short words or phrases that are relevant to the experience and are clear opposites (e.g. “Helpful” vs “Not helpful” or “Accurate” vs. “Not accurate”).

Navigating to GenAI features

Access to Chat with eBay.ai is accessible in several areas and is contextual based on where the user is in their flow.

On the homepage, it can appear as a nav pill but on View Item it may show up as a peek-a-boo prompt

Displaying generated content

When introducing generated content, we use the text reveal animation to bring text on screen and badge the content with the full-spectrum filled icon and explicit label to ensure users understand it’s generated.

Loading conversational content in real time

When responses are generating in real time while conversing directly with eBay.ai, we use the bouncing dot animation while it’s thinking and then stream the response in using the text reveal animation.

Platforms

Best practices

Text color

Use the AI color gradient in spectrum icon paired with neutral text.

“Do” example showing a search screen with the query “Arm chair” typed in to the search field. Multiple suggestions are stacked in black text with gray icons in front of them. The last 2 suggestions have the full spectrum AI icon in front of them also with black text.

Don’t use gradients on typography.

“Don’t” example showing a search screen with the query “Arm chair” typed in to the search field. Multiple suggestions are stacked in black text with gray icons in front of them. The last 2 suggestions have the full spectrum AI icon in front of them and the text also has a gradient applied.

Background colors

Use the full spectrum AI gradient in the spectrum icon.

“Do” example showing an assistant module with gray background.

Don't use static or persistent gradients in anything except the spectrum icon. i.e. background shapes, buttons, etc.

Buttons

Use the spectrum icon on buttons when they will actually generate something.

“Do” example of a case where only 1 AI icon badge is required. The subtitle of a bottom sheet says, “generated with eBay.ai” followed by the full spectrum AI icon. There is a paragraph of text with 3 action buttons below. None of the buttons contain an icon because the subtitle above is sufficient.

Don’t use the icon in a label with the verb “Generate” before the action has been performed.

Badging

Only use 1 icon per module.

Don’t use multiple spectrum icons in a single module.

Example of a case where only 1 AI icon badge is required but this example shows what not to do, which is use multiple. The subtitle of a bottom sheet says, “generated with eBay.ai” followed by the full spectrum AI icon. There is a paragraph of text with 3 action buttons below. In this example, all three buttons also have icons, which is repetitive.

Feedback

Give clear context as to what the up and down thumbs mean.

Don’t show the up and down thumbs without any context.

“Don’t” example of a use case where leaving feedback is not explicit. There is a text box with generated description that has a section title saying, “Description generated with eBay.ai” and two icon buttons aligned right. The first is a thumbs up icon with no label and the second is a thumbs down icon with no label.

Mention eBay.ai in the title or body text, if necessary.

Don’t use the icon on a button that doesn’t actually generate anything.

Office hours

The technology that powers eBay.ai is moving extremely fast with new legislation being introduced to protect consumers just as quickly. Please sign up for office hours early in your design process and again prior to launch to ensure your experience meets current OX, RAI, CoreAI, and legal guidelines. If you think your project requires a more hands-on collaboration, contact OneExperience (OX) team.