I like AI but... (yes, this is related to cars!)

[Hoofy]

I'm all for people using AI. Whether it's in an article or it's helped them to plan something, or it's even the script for a video. But I've realised there's one area where I dislike AI and feel like it doesn't add to what the user is doing - it's when it's in car adverts.

For instance, an ad for a Gallardo just appeared:

"Introducing the iconic Lamborghini Gallardo, a true masterpiece of automotive engineering. With only 29065 miles on the clock, this stunning 4WD 2dr model is finished in sleek Black, exuding elegance and power in equal measure.

"Experience the thrill of driving a Lamborghini, with its powerful 5.0 litre engine and precision handling. This Gallardo is sure to turn heads wherever you go, making a statement of luxury and sophistication.

"Don't miss your chance to own a piece of automotive history. Contact us today to schedule a test drive and make this Lamborghini Gallardo yours."

They've actually said nothing of use to a serious buyer. It looks like they're trying to hide something. Has the cat been sorted? Missing any service? Invoices available? Any rebuilds? That text belongs in a review, NOT an ad. The text is just noise!

In fact, I imagine a sneering dealer in a sheepskin jacket is trying to flog a car.

Hopefully, dealers read this.

Edited by Hoofy on Friday 18th October 17:47

[LarJammer]

Check out this dealer of high end cars, it's just plain lazy.

https://www.dmbcollection.co.uk/vehicle-details/us...

[Hoofy]

LarJammer said:

Check out this dealer of high end cars, it's just plain lazy.

https://www.dmbcollection.co.uk/vehicle-details/us...

There's a supercar dealership near me that's resorted to using ChatGPT, too.

It's not just lazy, it's completely not thinking about what the potential buyer wants to see. It's as bad as putting "Silver. PAS. Electric windows." as you see in ads for those st heaps that dealers on dodgy farms and industrial estates are trying to get rid of.

[CoreyDog]

I use AI to generate product descriptions for my business.

For me it’s nothing to do with laziness, avoiding information etc… It all boils down to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

Getting ranked on Google highly for specific keywords is a nightmare, you can outsource it to companies that specialise but you’re talking £10,000s a month for anything meaningful.

It’s far more efficient to just type out a basic product description then tell AI to use that description as the bones and to optimise it for SEO. It even creates the Meta description and title for you, again both optimised for search engines.

Granted, it seems abit stupid doing it for an Auto Trader advert or EBay but on their own websites…. I can understand why.

I could easily dedicate my entire working day, everyday to search engine optimisation, AI takes about 30 seconds.

[Honourable Dead Snark]

Doesn’t sound like AI is the issue. It’s lazy people thinking AI can do all the work for them rather than using it as a tool.

[Hoofy]

CoreyDog said:

I use AI to generate product descriptions for my business.

For me it’s nothing to do with laziness, avoiding information etc… It all boils down to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

Getting ranked on Google highly for specific keywords is a nightmare, you can outsource it to companies that specialise but you’re talking £10,000s a month for anything meaningful.

It’s far more efficient to just type out a basic product description then tell AI to use that description as the bones and to optimise it for SEO. It even creates the Meta description and title for you, again both optimised for search engines.

Granted, it seems abit stupid doing it for an Auto Trader advert or EBay but on their own websites…. I can understand why.

I could easily dedicate my entire working day, everyday to search engine optimisation, AI takes about 30 seconds.

All that's fine - I do that. The example I gave above did nothing apart from added a few flowery words to create more noise.

[Hoofy]

Honourable Dead Snark said:

Doesn’t sound like AI is the issue. It’s lazy people thinking AI can do all the work for them rather than using it as a tool.

Yep, it's definitely the application of AI rather than AI itself. As I say, I like AI. I use it almost everyday to save time.

[Xenoous]

While buying a used car in the last few weeks, probably 1 in every 3 ads I viewed were written by AI. A ford focus? Luxury and style. A Mondeo? Spacious, roomy and stylish. A 3 series? Luxury and performance. I just skipped past those ads. I'd rather know about service history, MOT length, number of owners and general condition. It's lazy and makes me feel like the dealer is lazy as well.

[CoreyDog]

Hoofy said:

All that's fine - I do that. The example I gave above did nothing apart from added a few flowery words to create more noise.

You probably do the same as me then which I’ve found most effective.

Write a basic description, get it optimised then add in further key details. Car sales should really do the same, even if it’s just bullet points at the end of the paragraphs.

I’ve started using Gemini more recently as find it slightly more varied in what it writes over ChatGPT.

[Hoofy]

CoreyDog said:

Hoofy said:

All that's fine - I do that. The example I gave above did nothing apart from added a few flowery words to create more noise.

You probably do the same as me then which I’ve found most effective.

Write a basic description, get it optimised then add in further key details. Car sales should really do the same, even if it’s just bullet points at the end of the paragraphs.

I’ve started using Gemini more recently as find it slightly more varied in what it writes over ChatGPT.

Yep.

The problem is that as per the example I gave at the top, there's no useful information. I'm all for adding words to link everything together but they probably just asked "Write something about a Gallardo." I'm surprised they didn't copy and paste info about the Argentine football manager.

[Hoofy]

Xenoous said:

While buying a used car in the last few weeks, probably 1 in every 3 ads I viewed were written by AI. A ford focus? Luxury and style. A Mondeo? Spacious, roomy and stylish. A 3 series? Luxury and performance. I just skipped past those ads. I'd rather know about service history, MOT length, number of owners and general condition. It's lazy and makes me feel like the dealer is lazy as well.

Yep. "Will be serviced before selling" makes me think they will just stamp a date and not actually service the car.

[272BHP]

It is quite depressing how people just do not understand how to use AI.

Find another decently worded ad with all salient details, feed it into the LLM of your choice and just tell it to copy that style.

Even that basic approach would give a much better result than that quite horrific 911 example.

[Terminator X]

It's a turn off TBH, I just click on the next one.

TX.