Will AI doom ecommerce to enshittification?

It isn’t news to anyone that the internet isn’t what it used to be. Nowadays, many of the online spaces we once enjoyed are now filled with advertisements or sponsored content made only to gain advertising revenue.

This is due to a process known as “enshittification”. The label refers to digital platforms and online services gradually getting worse for users over time — usually due to companies prioritising profit over user experience. 

No company is safe from enshittification. Social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn have both been criticised for pushing shallow content and endless ads. 

Meanwhile, some complain that search engine results have become filled with sponsored content, and large ecommerce businesses bury independent sellers under paid placements.

And while artificial intelligence (AI) could be the solution for businesses to win back customer trust, experts are saying the rush to adopt the technology could add more fuel to the fire.

What is enshittification?

Enshittification (also called “crapification” and “platform decay”) is a term coined by journalist Cory Doctorow, describing how online platforms gradually get worse for users over time. 

According to Doctorow, it can occur when a company changes its focus from offering a good service to making more money for its owners and investors.

The enshittification process works in three stages. First, it focuses on attracting users by offering high-quality products and services. 

From there, the platform starts to degrade the customer experience (for example, by showing more ads or promoting sponsored products), before milking as much value from both users and business customers. 

As a result, the quality of the service drastically declines, customers are left frustrated, and the platform continues to prioritise profit over user experience.

How might AI lead to enshittification?

AI has the potential to improve user experience, such as by giving product recommendations based on preferences via personalised digital marketing campaigns. 

But, as one expert has warned, it’s impossible to ignore how it might also contribute to enshittification if used incorrectly by platforms

Chris Jones is Managing Director at PSE Consulting, a payment specialist that advises businesses on building checkouts. He advises that businesses should build AI agents that “act in the best interest of consumers — not just sellers or shareholders”.

Experts have already noted how generative AI can lead to mass-product listings, fake customer reviews, and low-quality product descriptions or images (also known as “AI slop”), making it harder for users to find authentic or high-quality products.

Moreover, replacing human support through AI-powered chatbots may save a business money, but it quickly leads to more irate customers if it fails to solve more complex problems, such as processing refunds and order modifications.

Platforms are already taking action to penalise AI-generated content that’s considered to be low-quality, spammy, or deceptive. LinkedIn updated its algorithm in July to minimise the reach of AI content, resulting in many users struggling to get engagement on their posts.

Daniel Ionescu, media entrepreneur and founder of Millennial Masters, offered his opinion. “AI isn’t making search, discovery, or commerce better for us. It’s mostly another tool for platforms to lock you in, auto-generate filler, and keep eyeballs glued to their ecosystem”.

How AI can amplify online frustration

Enshittification isn’t just a buzzword or something made up by disgruntled people who miss the golden age of the internet — it’s something that’s genuinely affecting the consumer experience and how they feel when shopping online. 

According to a study by WARC, 79% of customers now describe online shopping as a “joyless scroll”, while 78% say they feel overwhelmed by the amount of choices.

But while AI could help to ease these problems through a more personalised shopping experience, the pressure startups face to adopt the technology could easily lead to rushed and poorly implemented solutions that offer little value.

“If platforms move too quickly to monetise, prioritising advertising revenue over genuine customer value, trust will deteriorate,” Jones concludes. 

“Consumers may withhold the very data which would make their experiences better, reducing the opportunities presented by AI before they even arrive”.