Pinterest’s Push Into AI Sparks Backlash From Long-Time Users
Pinterest’s accelerating shift toward artificial intelligence is unsettling some of its most loyal users, who say the platform is becoming crowded with low-quality AI images and straying from its original purpose.
Users told CNN they have increasingly encountered bizarre, AI-generated visuals – including a one-eyed cat appearing in a wallpaper search and an anatomically impossible chicken recipe. Many say the surge of synthetic content has made the once-beloved platform feel unfamiliar.
“It makes me want to put my phone down,” said 23-year-old Abigail Wendling, who uses Pinterest to organise everything from recipes to home décor. “I have to look over everything with a microscope now.”
Pinterest has been grappling with an influx of AI content since the rise of advanced video and image generation tools in 2024. While the company has introduced labelling features and a “tuner” that lets users control how much AI they see, many argue the measures aren’t keeping pace with the volume of uploads.
CEO Bill Ready, who took the helm in 2022, has made AI central to Pinterest’s future. Rebranding the app as an “AI-powered visual-first shopping assistant,” he says the technology now sits “at the heart of the Pinterest experience.” The company logged 600 million monthly active users this year, half of them Gen Z, and reported third-quarter revenue of $1 billion – a 17% year-on-year rise.
But the platform’s creative community is uneasy.
“I want to see art that a human being has put time and effort into, not something spit out by an image generator,” said 41-year-old user Amber Thurman.
From Inspiration Board to AI Shopping Hub
Pinterest was once regarded as a calm, inspiration-driven alternative to noisier social networks. Users built mood boards, discovered recipes, and sourced design ideas from real creators. Now, major tech companies – Pinterest included – are racing to monetise AI, transforming search, recommendations and shopping behaviour.
Pinterest is leaning heavily into AI-powered retail features. According to the company, clicks on advertiser links have jumped 40% in a year and increased fivefold in three years. New tools, including a conversational shopping assistant described as “a best friend,” are designed to drive even more purchases.
But some long-time users say the shopping-first approach – and the AI content driving it – erodes trust.
“I’ve never bought anything on Pinterest,” said California-based creative director Hailey Cole, who now uses rival app Cosmos for design inspiration. She also raised concerns that AI-generated images drawing from artists’ work could be infringing on copyright.
Others say the abundance of synthetic visuals makes Pinterest feel unreliable. “Even if I see something I want,” Wendling added, “I go somewhere else to buy it.”
A Future Filled With AI – and User Fatigue
Despite user frustration, Pinterest leaders believe AI involvement in content creation will soon become universal. Ready compared its evolution to Photoshop, predicting that nearly all online visuals will eventually be AI-edited.
Researchers warn that the trend could damage trust. AI-generated posts commonly link to external sites packed with ads and affiliate marketing, often featuring content that mirrors generic AI-produced recipes or guides.
As generative content becomes harder to escape, experts say user media literacy will become increasingly important – especially since engaging with any AI post, even negatively, signals interest to the algorithm.
Some users told CNN they are already drifting away from Pinterest, turning to smaller platforms like Cosmos or even older communities such as Tumblr.
“They used to see a lot of human-created content that inspired them,” said Casey Fiesler, a University of Colorado Boulder professor. “Now it’s a lot of very non-human, less inspiring content.”
