AI-generated reviews surge over 1,000% on Temu and Shein platforms

AI-generated product reviews increased by more than 1,000% on major e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein, according to research published in October 2025 by Originality.ai. The studies documented dramatic shifts in review authenticity as artificial intelligence tools became mainstream following ChatGPT's 2023 launch.

Temu experienced a 1361% increase in AI-generated reviews between 2022 and 2025, with the proportion rising from 0.75% to 10.90%. Shein showed an even larger proportional increase of 1569% from 2018 to 2024, reaching 9.93% of all reviews analyzed. Both platforms demonstrated accelerating growth rates particularly after 2023, when ChatGPT became widely accessible to consumers and businesses.

The research methodology employed Originality.ai's proprietary detection tool, which analyzed reviews exceeding 50 words and assigned each submission an AI likelihood score alongside a binary classification. For Temu, researchers collected data from Trustpilot covering the period from the platform's 2022 launch through 2025. According to Crunchbase, Temu launched in 2022 and quickly gained traction in global markets. The Shein analysis examined app store reviews spanning 2018 to 2024, tracking the platform's growth trajectory following its 2015 rebranding.

According to Statista, Shein became the second most downloaded shopping app globally in 2024 with 235 million downloads. This massive user base amplifies the potential impact of AI-generated content within the platform's review ecosystem. Similarly, according to TechCrunch, Temu topped the U.S. App Store download charts for free apps in 2024, demonstrating rapid market penetration supported by aggressive advertising strategies.

The timeline of AI review growth reveals distinct phases across both platforms. Shein maintained relatively low AI review rates through 2022, with approximately 3.37% of reviews flagged as AI-generated. By 2023, this figure increased to 5.17% before accelerating sharply to 9.93% in 2024. Temu's trajectory proved even more compressed given its later market entry. Starting at 0.75% in 2022, AI reviews reached 3.40% by 2023 and 5.17% in 2024 before the most significant jump occurred in 2025, when the rate climbed to 10.90%.

These findings contrast sharply with established e-commerce platforms maintaining predominantly human-written reviews. According to the research, platforms such as eBay, Myntra, and Lazada demonstrated higher percentages of authentic human feedback during comparable analysis periods. The divergence suggests platform-specific factors influencing AI review prevalence beyond general technological availability.

Consumer trust faces significant erosion when artificial intelligence generates product feedback at scale. Research published by Raptive found that suspected AI content reduces reader trust by nearly 50%, with participants rating AI-generated content significantly lower across authenticity metrics. The study showed consumers demonstrated 14% lower purchase consideration when they believed content was AI-generated, regardless of actual authorship.

For digital marketing professionals managing e-commerce strategies, review authenticity directly impacts conversion optimization and customer acquisition costs. Amazon reported blocking over 200 million suspected fake reviews in 2022 using AI-powered detection systems that analyze language patterns, behavioral indicators, and promotional code usage. The company's systems identify suspicious reviews before publication, demonstrating how platforms can implement proactive authenticity measures.

The accelerating AI review growth raises questions about platform accountability and verification standards. Madeleine Lambert, Director of Marketing and Sales at Originality.ai, emphasized the implications in the published research. "The growing presence of AI-generated content within Shein reviews could significantly impact consumer trust and cloud decision-making," the study stated. "If consumers become aware that AI-generated reviews are being used to manipulate ratings and misrepresent customer sentiment, this could lead to lasting mistrust in both the brand and the platform in question."

Platform revenue models may incentivize review volume over authenticity verification. Both Temu and Shein operate on high-transaction-volume business models relying on aggressive customer acquisition through paid advertising and low product pricing. Temu's advertising expenditure reportedly reached approximately $2 billion on Meta alone in 2023, making it the platform's largest advertising client during that period. This growth-focused strategy prioritizes rapid user base expansion, potentially creating environments where review verification receives insufficient resources.

The timing of AI review acceleration corresponds directly with generative AI democratization. ChatGPT launched in November 2022, followed by widespread adoption throughout 2023 as competitors including Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude entered the market. This technological availability coincided precisely with the sharp increases observed in both Temu and Shein review data. The Temu study noted that "the rising proportion of generative AI reviews is likely due to the continued improvements to generative AI models like ChatGPT, alongside increased usage and adoption as they become more mainstream and accessible."

Regulatory frameworks struggle to address AI-generated content at scale. European Union Digital Services Act provisions became fully operational on February 17, 2024, requiring platforms to implement content reporting mechanisms and transparency measures. However, these regulations primarily address illegal content removal rather than AI-generated review detection. The complexity of distinguishing authentic human feedback from sophisticated AI-generated text exceeds current regulatory capabilities in most jurisdictions.

Platform-specific factors influence AI review prevalence beyond general market trends. Temu faced multiple regulatory challenges throughout 2024 and 2025, including Kentucky's July 2025 lawsuit alleging deceptive data collection practices and consumer protection violations. The Federal Trade Commission secured a $2 million settlement from Temu in September 2025 for violations of the INFORM Consumers Act, marking the first enforcement action under the 2023 legislation. These legal pressures coincided with operational changes as USA Today and TechCrunch reported Temu ceased direct China-to-U.S. shipping in 2025.

According to SimilarWeb data cited in the research, Temu.com received 14.77% of its web traffic from the United States as of May 2025, representing a 28.56% monthly decline compared to the previous period. This traffic reduction followed Temu's complete withdrawal from Google Shopping advertising in the United States on April 9, 2025, coinciding with elevated tariffs reaching 125% on Chinese imports. Within three days of halting advertising, Temu's App Store ranking plummeted from consistent top-five positioning to 58th place, demonstrating dependence on continuous paid acquisition rather than organic demand or brand loyalty.

The research methodology revealed important technical considerations for AI detection accuracy. Both studies excluded reviews containing fewer than 50 words, as shorter text samples provide insufficient content for reliable AI probability assessment. The Originality.ai API returned two critical data points for each analyzed review: a numerical AI likelihood score and a binary classification determining whether content was human-written or AI-generated. Processing involved systematic error handling with retry mechanisms ensuring robust API calls despite potential network interruptions or rate limiting.

Detection accuracy represents an ongoing technical challenge as generative AI models continue improving. Originality.ai claims 99% accuracy in recent testing, though detection capabilities must evolve alongside increasingly sophisticated text generation systems. The company released studies in December 2025 examining detection rates for Google's Gemini 3 and xAI's Grok 4.1 Fast models, indicating continuous adaptation requirements for detection technology.

Consumer behavior patterns shift as AI-generated content becomes pervasive across digital platforms. Chrome introduced AI-powered store reviews in July 2025, aggregating merchant evaluations from multiple sources including TrustPilot, ScamAdvisor, and Google Shopping. The browser feature synthesizes thousands of customer experiences into digestible overviews, attempting to provide balanced perspectives beyond single-platform reviews that may contain disproportionate AI-generated content.

The advertising implications extend beyond individual platform review authenticity. AI-generated advertising contentpromoting fraudulent products through fabricated demonstrations has proliferated across major digital platforms according to documentation published in August 2025. YouTube creator Charles White Jr. identified multiple cases where artificial intelligence created convincing but fictional product demonstrations for drop-shipped items, revealing systematic exploitation of AI capabilities for deceptive commercial purposes.

Platform business models relying on Chinese manufacturing direct-to-consumer shipping face intensifying regulatory scrutiny. According to data from the U.S. Congress cited in the research, Temu and Shein collectively ship approximately 600,000 packages to the United States daily. U.S. lawmakers have specifically targeted these companies with calls for import bans citing forced labor concerns and trade practice issues. The de minimis exemption allowing duty-free entry for individual shipments under $800 previously provided competitive advantages for platforms utilizing direct-from-manufacturer models.

Review authenticity verification requires multi-faceted technical approaches beyond binary AI detection. The research recommendations emphasized proactive content moderation combining automated screening with human oversight. "To maintain authenticity and transparency with users, Shein must consider the following," the study stated. "Take proactive steps to detect and maintain low levels of AI-generated content. Integrate trustworthy AI detection tools during the review publication phase. Implement policy updates to handle the ethical implications of automated content."

Platform transparency reporting provides limited visibility into content moderation effectiveness. Temu released its first EU Digital Services Act transparency report on November 30, 2024, covering operations from February through October 2024. The document detailed automated review analysis systems scanning user submissions for inappropriate content, private information, and illegal activities. However, the report did not specifically address AI-generated review detection capabilities or prevalence metrics.

The competitive dynamics between established Western e-commerce platforms and Chinese challengers involve more than pricing strategies. Temu joined the International Trademark Association as a corporate member on July 24, 2025, serving on INTA's Anti-Counterfeiting Committee. The membership signaled efforts to enhance intellectual property protection measures amid heightened scrutiny of trademark enforcement practices. For digital advertising professionals, these platform policies regarding counterfeit products and trademark enforcement influence brand safety assessments and channel partnership decisions.

Traditional logistics providers benefit financially from Chinese platform growth despite competitive tensions with domestic retailers. Otto Group's financial results presentation on March 26, 2025, included management criticism of Temu and Shein while the company's Hermes logistics subsidiary earned revenue from Temu deliveries. According to German industry associations, Asian online retailers including Temu and Shein drove parcel industry growth, with Hermes Germany handling over 4.5 million packages in a single day during the 2024 holiday season.

The broader implications for marketing professionals involve fundamental questions about consumer trust infrastructure in digital commerce. When significant portions of product reviews utilize AI generation rather than authentic customer experiences, the informational value supporting purchase decisions deteriorates. Marketing strategies relying on customer advocacy and word-of-mouth amplification face challenges when automated content dilutes genuine feedback signals. Attribution modeling and conversion funnel analysis become less reliable when review authenticity cannot be assumed.

Search engine optimization strategies depending on user-generated content volume must reconsider quality verification mechanisms. E-commerce platforms have historically prioritized review quantity as social proof signals influencing organic search rankings and conversion rates. However, as AI-generated content proliferates, search algorithms may devalue review counts without corresponding authenticity verification. This shift would fundamentally alter local search optimization tactics and reputation management strategies for businesses operating across multiple platforms.

The research emphasized that platforms demonstrate varying baseline rates of AI-generated reviews, suggesting that platform policies and enforcement mechanisms significantly influence outcome distributions. The studies documenting 9.93% AI content on Shein and 10.90% on Temu contrast with platforms maintaining predominantly human-written feedback. This variance indicates that technological capability alone does not determine AI review prevalence; platform choices regarding verification investment and policy enforcement play critical roles.

Consumer education represents another dimension requiring attention as AI-generated content becomes ubiquitous. Many shoppers remain unaware that significant portions of online reviews may originate from artificial intelligence rather than actual product purchasers. This information asymmetry enables continued reliance on potentially manipulated feedback for purchase decisions. Platform transparency regarding AI detection rates and review verification processes could help consumers make more informed choices, though such disclosures might simultaneously undermine confidence in platform review systems.

The technical sophistication required for effective AI detection continues increasing as language models improve. The Originality.ai methodology relied on proprietary algorithms analyzing linguistic patterns, contextual coherence, and stylistic markers distinguishing human writing from machine-generated text. However, newer models produce increasingly natural-sounding output requiring continuous detector retraining. This technological arms race between generation capabilities and detection accuracy will likely intensify as commercial incentives drive both AI content creation and authenticity verification services.

International regulatory coordination faces challenges given varying national priorities regarding e-commerce oversight and consumer protection. European Union Digital Services Act requirements differ substantially from U.S. Federal Trade Commission enforcement approaches. Chinese platforms operating globally must navigate multiple jurisdictional frameworks simultaneously, creating compliance complexity that may inadvertently enable gaps in review authenticity verification. The absence of harmonized international standards for AI content disclosure allows platforms to exploit regulatory arbitrage opportunities.

The financial incentives driving AI review generation warrant examination. Platforms benefit from increased content volume through enhanced social proof and improved search engine visibility. Individual sellers gain competitive advantages through artificially inflated ratings. Third-party review generation services commercialize AI capabilities for reputation management purposes. These aligned economic interests create structural pressures toward increased AI review prevalence absent countervailing platform policies or regulatory requirements mandating authenticity verification.

The research documentation process revealed interesting methodological considerations for large-scale content analysis. Reviews underwent preprocessing to ensure consistent formatting and data structure before AI detection processing. The systems saved results periodically to prevent data loss during extended analysis runs. Final datasets enabled temporal trend analysis focusing on yearly variations and multi-year growth trajectories. This structured analytical approach provided reliable insights into AI-generated content impacts on consumer behavior patterns within online retail environments.

The convergence of multiple factors explains the dramatic increases observed in 2023 and 2024. ChatGPT's November 2022 launch provided accessible AI text generation to mass audiences for the first time. Competing models from Google, Anthropic, and other providers expanded availability throughout 2023. Simultaneously, Temu and Shein experienced explosive user growth requiring substantial review volume to support social proof marketing strategies. The combination of technological capability and commercial incentive created conditions favoring AI review proliferation on platforms lacking robust verification infrastructure.

Platform architectural decisions regarding review submission processes influence AI content rates. Temu's transparency report detailed automated screening systems checking submissions before publication for compliance violations and prohibited content. However, the document did not specify whether pre-publication screening included AI detection capabilities. Similarly, Shein's review submission process remained opaque regarding AI content verification. The absence of clear AI detection disclosures suggests platforms may prioritize other content moderation objectives such as profanity filtering and spam prevention over authenticity verification.

The marketing community faces strategic decisions regarding platform partnerships given these authenticity concerns. Advertising investments on platforms with high AI review rates may generate lower return on ad spend if consumers increasingly distrust product feedback. Brand safety considerations traditionally focused on content adjacency and platform reputation now must incorporate review authenticity as a factor influencing consumer confidence. Performance marketing strategies relying on organic review generation for conversion optimization may require supplemental verification mechanisms ensuring authentic customer feedback rather than AI-generated content.

Timeline

2018: Shein app reviews show 0.6% AI-generated content, establishing baseline before widespread generative AI availability

2022: Temu launches with 0.75% AI review rate; ChatGPT releases in November, democratizing AI text generation capabilities

2023: Amazon blocks over 200 million suspected fake reviews using AI-powered detection systems; Temu AI reviews reach 3.40%; Shein AI reviews climb to 5.17%

February 17, 2024: EU Digital Services Act becomes fully operational, requiring platform content moderation transparency

April 9, 2025: Temu completely ceases Google Shopping advertising in United States as App Store ranking plummets from top 5 to 58th place within three days

July 2025: Chrome introduces AI-powered store reviews aggregating merchant evaluations from multiple platforms; Kentucky files lawsuit against Temu over data collection practices; Raptive study shows AI content cuts reader trust by half

September 5, 2025: Federal Trade Commission secures $2 million settlement from Temu in first INFORM Consumers Act enforcement

October 17-18, 2025: Originality.ai publishes research documenting 1361% increase in Temu AI reviews (2022-2025) and 1569% increase in Shein AI reviews (2018-2024)

2025: Temu AI reviews reach 10.90%; Shein AI reviews reach 9.93%, representing more than tenfold increases compared to initial measurement periods

Summary

Who: Originality.ai conducted research analyzing product reviews on e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein using proprietary AI detection tools. Madeleine Lambert, Director of Marketing and Sales at Originality.ai, authored the published studies. The research examined reviews from millions of platform users across multiple years.

What: AI-generated product reviews increased dramatically on both platforms. Temu showed a 1361% increase from 0.75% in 2022 to 10.90% in 2025. Shein demonstrated a 1569% increase from 0.6% in 2018 to 9.93% in 2024. The research employed systematic data collection from Trustpilot and app stores, processing reviews exceeding 50 words through AI detection algorithms that assigned likelihood scores and binary classifications.

When: The Shein analysis covered 2018 through 2024, tracking the platform following its 2015 rebranding. The Temu study examined 2022 through 2025, beginning with the platform's initial launch. Both studies documented accelerating AI review growth particularly after ChatGPT's November 2022 release and subsequent widespread generative AI adoption throughout 2023.

Where: The research focused on user reviews appearing on mobile applications and websites for both platforms. Temu operates across more than 90 markets globally, while Shein achieved status as the second most downloaded shopping app worldwide with 235 million downloads in 2024. The studies analyzed English-language reviews primarily from United States and European Union markets where both platforms maintain significant user bases.

Why: Multiple converging factors drove AI review proliferation. Generative AI tools became widely accessible following ChatGPT's 2023 launch, providing mass-market text generation capabilities. Platforms pursuing aggressive growth strategies required substantial review volume for social proof and conversion optimization. Commercial incentives aligned for sellers seeking competitive advantages through artificially inflated ratings. The absence of robust platform verification infrastructure enabled AI review submission without detection, while regulatory frameworks lacked specific requirements addressing AI-generated content disclosure or verification standards.