Amazon's Project Zero aims to let brands and machine learning tackle counterfeiting

Amazon has just launched a new initiative named Project Zero, a name that is derived from its focus on reducing the sale of counterfeit items on its platform. Project Zero essentially lets brands aid Amazon by being able to remove counterfeit listings from the site themselves without requiring Amazon’s intervention. [caption id=“attachment_6178031” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] Amazon’s tech includes machine learning algorithms, combined with brands’ own knowledge of their intellectual property. Image: Amazon[/caption] That’s not all. In addition to letting brands remove counterfeit products themselves, Amazon is using AI to cut down on fake listings. The global e-commerce giant explains in a blog post that machine learning algorithms will continuously scan listings and remove any entries that are suspected counterfeits. Amazon will also let brands assign a unique code for each product, that can then be printed onto a sticker or directly on the packaging. When products are ordered, Amazon can simply scan the code of an item when it enters a warehouse and verifies if it’s authentic. Amazon’s Project Zero FAQ page states that the company is “providing brands with an unprecedented level of responsibility, and (is) willing to do so because (the company) believes that the combined strengths of Amazon and brands can drive counterfeits to zero.” For now, the new initiate is an invite-only program, and Amazon currently has about 15 brands enrolled. There will be further details over time, but as of now, Amazon is unclear what Amazon intends to do if brands begin abusing their privilege and use it to eliminate competition.