Pinterest Tests AI-Powered Product Discovery With New “Ask Pinterest” App
In Focus
- “Ask Pinterest” will initially operate as a standalone app
- The AI-powered app comes with a conversational, chatbot like interface
- The tool can respond to complex and use saved Pins to personalize responses
Pinterest has introduced the “Ask Pinterest” AI app to test a conversational approach to product discovery and shopping. Pinterest said “Ask Pinterest” will initially run as a separate app, allowing the company to test the technology without affecting the main Pinterest experience.
How Does Ask Pinterest Work?
“Ask Pinterest” is designed to extend visual discovery experiences beyond the main Pinterest app. The new Pinterest AI app features a conversational, chatbot-like interface where users can enter queries using natural language to receive personalized recommendations.
By taking the Pinterest AI shopping app online, the social media company is looking to use its internal data mapping tool “Taste Graph” to gauge user interests and aesthetics. Initially, the app will be accessible to selected users and could eventually be included in the Pinterest app.
Pinterest, which recently signed a $4 billion cloud deal with AWS, said that “Ask Pinterest” can take on complex, multi-step queries. The tool can utilize saved Boards and Pins to personalize query responses. With these capabilities, the company will be exploring how AI can support shopping experiences while maintaining user context across sessions.
“The future of discovery won’t be driven by keywords alone. It will be shaped by context, taste, and trusted recommendations. We’re building AI experiences and infrastructure that tap into those signals in more useful and relevant ways,” Chief Business Officer at Pinterest, Lee Brown noted in a company statement.
Pinterest launched the AI app days after it added an Amazon Storefront integration feature to attract creators with established affiliate shopping businesses to its platform.
Which Other AI Initiatives Did Pinterest Introduce?
Besides the Pinterest AI shopping assistant, the company introduced a Model Context Protocol (MCP) for use by advertisers. Using the MCP, advertisers can connect Pinterest to copilots and other agentic tools that they rely on.
The protocol offers advertisers secure access to ad campaigns, analytics and keyword insights. It also embeds AI workflows into a wide range of Pinterest signals, which include trends, intent, and taste. This means connected AI tools can generate platform-specific insights within existing tools.
“What makes Pinterest especially compelling is the strength of its intent signals. People come to Pinterest to plan what they want to do next, creating valuable context that helps marketers make smarter decisions,” Jump 450 President, Chris Ivey noted.
What Do the AI Tools Mean for Pinterest?
Pinterest introduces “Ask Pinterest” at a time when AI chatbots are competing for consumer attention with conventional search engines. Tech companies have already integrated AI tools in their platforms to help shoppers discover products and track prices.
For instance, Google added AI agents to AI Mode in Search to enable shoppers to find products faster. The new AI tools strengthen Pinterest’s position as a personalized discovery platform. Pinterest unveiled the AI-powered tools ahead of the annual AdTech industry event at Cannes Lions. This year, the event will focus on AI and how it can meet advertising and marketing needs.
