AI-generated reviews about Shein and Temu items are skyrocketing
Reviews generated by AI on low-cost retailer Shein and Temu apps may have increased by over 1,000% in recent years, according to a report.
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Reviews generated by AI on the low-cost retailer Shein app and reviews about Temu on Trustpilot may have increased by over 1,000% in recent years, according to a report.
Synthetic content appears to be everywhere – about half of all new articles online are now thought to be written by AI.
The Shein app, an ultra-fast fashion retailer, is no exception, where AI-generated reviews are estimated to have increased by 1,569% from 2018 to 2024, according to a study from Originality.ai.
They accounted for 0.6% of reviews in 2018, steadily increasing to 9.93% in 2024.
The report states that the sharp rise in AI-generated reviews may reflect strategic moves by stakeholders aiming to influence consumer decisions through automated content.
Generative AI became widely available in late 2022, when OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT. Some AI tools for text generation existed before, but they were mostly used by researchers and businesses.
The study evaluated a dataset of customer reviews on the Shein app using the AI detection tool Originality.ai. However, the accuracy of AI detection tools remains highly debatable due to a high number of false positives and false negatives.
Reviews are a major factor influencing purchasing decisions. As AI-generated content is becoming more prevalent, half of consumers (49%) worry about the authenticity of reviews written with its tools, according to a 2024 survey by Reputation.
Moreover, nearly nine in ten (87%) admit that they cannot always distinguish between genuine and AI-created feedback.
AI-generated reviews about Temu grew by 1,361%
Researchers also looked into AI-generated reviews about Temu, an ultra-low-cost shopping platform, that connects shoppers directly with manufacturers or retailers based in China.
After analyzing reviews about Temu sourced from the third-party review site Trustpilot, they found that synthetic reviews may have increased by 1,361% from 2022 to 2025.
In 2022, probable AI reviews accounted for only 0.75%, compared to 10.90% in 2025.
Temu ceased shipping goods from China to the United States (US) earlier this year, following Washington's imposition of tariffs on small-value packages from China.
The European Union announced this week that it will start applying a fixed customs duty of €3 ($3.5) to cheap packages, which can currently enter the bloc duty-free. The rule will primarily target Shein, Temu, and other Chinese retailers.
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