Etsy CEO Kruti Patel Goyal Fights AI Listings With AI

Etsy lost over six million active buyers after an influx of fake and mass-produced items flooded the platform. The new CEO Kruti Patel Goyal stepped in at the start of 2026 to stop the bleeding. The catch is that she is fighting the tech with more tech. Etsy now requires most listings to feature at least one unedited photo against a real background. The site is also deploying artificial intelligence to detect rule-breaking posts and help users sift through search results. The strategy is already working. Quarterly active buyers increased for the first time in two years. Revenue rose eleven percent to six hundred ninety-two point five million dollars. Gross merchandise sales hit two point six five billion dollars. Etsy shares jumped four percent on Wednesday as buyers finally started to return.