Pinterest Launches Ask Pinterest: An Experimental AI App

Pinterest is evolving its approach to visual discovery with the launch of “Ask Pinterest,” an experimental standalone application. The platform aims to move beyond traditional keyword-based searches, offering a conversational, chatbot-style interface that helps users navigate complex shopping tasks and creative inspiration.

Leveraging the Taste Graph

The Ask Pinterest application utilizes the company’s proprietary “Taste Graph”—a massive data mapping system that connects individual user interests and aesthetics. By operating as a separate entity, the company can iterate on AI-driven shopping features without altering the core functionality of its main platform.

The interface is specifically built to handle multistep queries that are difficult to manage through standard search bars. For example, users can receive guidance on long-term projects, such as furnishing a room or coordinating the logistics for a dinner party. When logged in, the tool personalizes results by tapping into the user’s existing Pins and Boards.

Strategic AI Expansion

This initiative arrives amid a broader industry shift where chatbots are increasingly challenging traditional search engines for consumer attention. Companies such as Google, Meta, and Shopify have already integrated similar agentic shopping capabilities. Pinterest, however, has opted to focus on training its own models using its specific dataset rather than licensing its recommendations to third-party services.

Updates for Advertisers

Concurrent with the app release, Pinterest announced several AI-driven tools for marketers, timed to coincide with the Cannes Lions industry gathering:

• Ads Manager Assistant: A beta tool designed to streamline campaign creation.
• Performance+ Model: A global AI model that automatically selects the best-performing ad creatives for specific audiences.
• Model Context Protocol (MCP): An infrastructure layer allowing advertisers to integrate and monitor campaigns across various third-party agentic tools.

Lee Brown, chief business officer at Pinterest, noted that the company is positioning itself for a future where “discovery won’t be driven by keywords alone.” Instead, he emphasized that the platform’s advantage lies in “context, taste, and trusted recommendations.” The Ask Pinterest tool is currently accessible to a limited number of users via web browsers on both desktop and mobile devices.