Pinterest announced an experimental AI shopping app called Ask Pinterest on Wednesday. The app is designed to allow users to ask questions in natural language to receive personalized recommendations and inspiration. It will initially be available in limited access, according to the company. The app is part of Pinterest’s broader AI initiatives, including the Pinterest Model Context Protocol (MCP), which is aimed at advertisers running campaigns on the platform. The launch comes ahead of the Cannes Lions adtech industry gathering, which is focused on how AI can serve advertisers and marketers. The app will leverage Pinterest’s internal data mapping, known as the Taste Graph, to provide more tailored experiences. Pinterest said it aims to test how AI can better support shopping experiences while maintaining user context across sessions. The app is also intended to complement the company’s main app by offering a conversational, chatbot-like interface for more complex or multi-step queries. Source: techcrunch
Ask Pinterest is designed to expand Pinterest’s visual discovery experience beyond the main app. It will allow users to ask questions about topics such as planning a dinner party or furnishing a room over time. The app can also leverage users’ saved Pins and Boards to personalize its answers. Pinterest believes these results will help the company when building more AI-powered experiences for its flagship app. The app is currently available to a limited number of people via the web, both mobile and desktop. The company also introduced an AI assistant in beta in its Ads Manager in the U.S. and a new AI model called Performance+ creative to help advertisers choose the best ad creatives. The MCP infrastructure layer allows advertisers to manage and monitor their campaigns using third-party tools in a standardized way. Source: techcrunch
Pinterest’s Chief Business Officer, Lee Brown, remarked that the future of discovery will be shaped by context, taste, and trusted recommendations. He noted that Pinterest feels it has a unique advantage in this area. The company explained that Ask Pinterest could work for more complex or multi-step queries that wouldn’t fit a traditional Pinterest search. The app is part of Pinterest’s strategy to use its own data to train AI models and power its AI products, rather than relying on licensing deals with other AI services. Source: techcrunch
