Discover Carousell’s plans for Classifieds 4.0 at TIA Singapore 2018 (INFOGRAPHIC)

Classified ads have come a long way. For decades, they were the domain of traditional newspaper print. Back then, a few days were needed for ads to appear – pictures and copy had to be sent to the newspaper company, the editor had to approve of the ad, before it would be printed.

After the first version of classified ads as traditional print, came the rise of online classifieds, with Craigslist being a classic example. Selling second-hand goods became easier. Instead of waiting several days, it could now be done within 30 minutes. One needed to take a picture of the product using a digital camera, transfer it to the computer, then connect to the internet to upload his listings.

In 2012, Carousell introduced the mobile-first approach, marking classifieds V3.0. Instead of turning to online forums to sell their pre-loved items, users simply used their phones to snap a photo, add in a description and price in order to start selling their goods. From 30 minutes, it became just 30 seconds for one to snap, list, and sell their items.

From mobile-first to AI-first

Now, Carousell is working towards Classifieds 4.0, with an AI-first concept. Quek Siu Rui, Carousell’s CEO and co-founder shared at Tech in Asia Singapore 2017 that the company envisions to reduce the time taken for users to sell a product – from thirty to only three seconds.

By investing heavily in machine learning, Carousell’s software is able to detect information and data from images. The Chat-Reply function which automatically crafts reply suggestions was then rolled out to users in Singapore. This May 15, catch Siu Rui at Tech in Asia Singapore 2018’s Main Stage to find out what’s in store for Classifieds 4.0 and what lies ahead for the company.

Below, we take a look at the history of Carousell and how far they’ve come since their launch in 2012. Tickets to Tech in Asia Singapore 2018 are going at 10 percent off (code: tiasg10), only till 29 April!

Infographic by Tech in Asia’s Susi Susanti.