Editorial illustration for Pinterest unveils experimental AI shopping app “Ask Pinterest” using its own data
Pinterest unveils experimental AI shopping app “Ask...
Pinterest is building a chatbot that shops. Dubbed "Ask Pinterest," the limited experimental app creates a sandbox. There, users describe a need in plain text. The bot replies with product recommendations, all pulled directly from the platform's own massive, messy archive of saved pins and boards.
The company is tired of generic AI. Its model trains on over a billion pins. That data means it theoretically understands the specific, often visual vocabulary of desire people use on Pinterest. Forget searching for "mid-century modern side table." You instead ask the bot what your aunt with the perfect living room would pick.
The AI-powered experience is designed to expand the visual discovery experience Pinterest is known for beyond the main app to a conversational, chatbot-like interface where consumers can ask questions using natural language to get more personalized recommendations and inspiration.
Success is measured by eventual integration. If people find it useful, this entire conversational layer gets folded into the main app. The goal is to shorten the distance between a vague idea and a purchase.
It's a functional gamble: talk is more efficient than scroll. The experimental app itself is minor. The underlying bet is not.
Pinterest thinks the next search bar is a text box where you describe your life to a machine that has, for years, already been watching you pin.
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Common Questions Answered
What is 'Ask Pinterest' and how does it work as an experimental AI shopping app?
Ask Pinterest is a chatbot developed by Pinterest that allows users to describe their shopping needs in plain text and receive personalized product recommendations. The bot pulls recommendations directly from Pinterest's archive of over a billion saved pins and boards, creating a conversational shopping experience rather than requiring users to scroll through traditional search results.
How does Pinterest's AI training on over a billion pins give it an advantage over generic AI models?
Pinterest's model trains specifically on its massive archive of pins, which allows it to understand the visual vocabulary and specific desires that users express on the platform. This specialized training enables the AI to provide more contextually relevant and personalized recommendations compared to generic AI systems that lack this deep understanding of Pinterest's unique user behavior and preferences.
What is Pinterest's long-term goal for integrating Ask Pinterest into its main app?
Pinterest's ultimate goal is to shorten the distance between a user's vague idea and an actual purchase by making conversation more efficient than scrolling. If users find Ask Pinterest useful during its experimental phase, the entire conversational layer will be folded into the main Pinterest app as a new way for users to discover and shop for products.
Why does Pinterest believe a text box conversation is more efficient than traditional scrolling for shopping?
Pinterest's underlying bet is that users can describe their needs and desires more quickly through natural language conversation than by manually scrolling through product feeds. By allowing users to articulate their shopping needs directly to an AI that has years of data about their pinning behavior, the platform aims to create a faster path from initial idea to purchase decision.
Further Reading
- Pinterest introduces AI-powered assistant for online shopping discovery — Digital Commerce 360
- Pinterest's New AI Shopping Assistant Learns Your Taste - WeRSM — WeRSM
- Pinterest has 'effectively become an AI-enabled shopping assistant,' CEO says — Customer Experience Dive
- Say hello to Pinterest Assistant: Revolutionizing the way you shop online — Pinterest Newsroom
- Pinterest Assistant aims to turn conversation into personalization — Campaign Live
