Insider Spotlight
Shopee is doubling down on artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify day-to-day operations for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as sellers grapple with rising customer demands and limited manpower.
For sustainability brand New Earth, managing an online shop meant juggling customer inquiries, order updates, and backend tasks with a lean six-person team.
“We take turns answering customer inquiries,” Valerie Pineda, founder of New Earth, said in a press statement. “Whenever our admin assistant is busy and cannot reply, I step in and help respond to customers.”
Why it matters
Small online sellers often operate with tight resources, making efficiency critical. Time spent answering repetitive queries or updating listings can limit growth-focused work.
Shopee’s Chat AI Assistant directly targets this gap by automating routine customer interactions.
How it works
The tool handles common inquiries such as delivery updates, order status, and product availability. Features like FAQ Assistant and Auto Reply allow sellers to preset responses and automate engagement, particularly during peak periods.
“It helps us immensely because we don’t have to go through every single message anymore,” Pineda shared.
This shift reduces manual workload while maintaining responsiveness, a key metric for online marketplaces.
Beyond chat automation
Shopee is also addressing another pain point: product listing management.
Its Product AI Optimiser helps sellers generate polished product visuals, recommend high-performing images, and guide buyers on sizing using embedded charts. This reduces pre-purchase questions and enhances conversion potential.
The tool also enables sellers without design expertise to create professional-looking product posters quickly, improving storefront appeal in a competitive marketplace.
The big picture
AI adoption among MSMEs is accelerating as platforms integrate automation directly into seller workflows. For Shopee, these tools are part of a broader push to build an inclusive digital ecosystem that enables local businesses to scale efficiently.
For small teams like New Earth, the impact is immediate: less time on repetitive tasks and more focus on strategy, customer experience, and growth. —Vanessa Hidalgo |Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
