Pinterest launches an experimental AI shopping app called ‘Ask Pinterest’

pinterest has launched ‘Ask Pinterest,’ an experimental AI-powered shopping app that lets users seek recommendations and inspiration through a conversational interface.

The news comes just ahead of the adtech industry’s annual gathering at Cannes Lions, which this year is mainly focused on how AI can serve the needs of advertisers and marketers. The “Ask Pinterest” online application gives the company another way to utilize its “Taste Graph” — its internal data mapping people to their interests and aesthetics. It will initially be available in limited access, the company said. 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. It also arrives as AI chatbots are increasingly competing with traditional search engines for consumers’ attention. Google has already put AI to work to help online shoppers find what they need, track prices, and check out. ChatGPT also experimented with agentic shopping, as have Meta, Shopify, and others. Rather than turning itself into a source of product recommendations that other AI services could leverage through licensing deals, Pinterest has largely focused on using its own data to train AI models and power its AI products. Plus, by making Ask Pinterest a stand-alone app, the company has a way to experiment with the technology without disrupting the main Pinterest experience. The company explains that Ask Pinterest could work for more complex or multistep queries that wouldn’t fit a traditional Pinterest search. For instance, you could use the app to ask for help planning a dinner party or furnishing a room over time. The idea, says Pinterest, is to test and explore how AI could better support people’s shopping experiences while retaining the user’s context across sessions.