The AI slop-ification of Etsy

Etsy became a household name as a platform for sellers to market their handmade goods — anything from paintings to prints to ceramics.

But in recent years, many sellers have noticed steep declines in revenue. Ej Dickson, senior culture writer at Wired, reports that many of them point to an increase of mass-produced products and AI-generated listings as the culprit.

“It seems like a lot of them are considering just leaving the platform altogether, because it's impossible for them to make money on it anymore,” Dickson said.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal spoke with Dickson about her reporting.

Click the audio player above to hear their conversation.