source: techcrunch ai: pinterest launches an experimental ai shopping app called ‘ask pinterest’
level: business
pinterest announced a new experimental app called ask pinterest, a standalone online application that uses a chatbot-like interface for shopping and product discovery. the app leverages pinterest's taste graph, which maps user interests and aesthetics, to provide personalized recommendations through natural language queries. it is initially available in limited access and aims to handle complex, multi-step requests like planning a dinner party or furnishing a room over time, while retaining context across sessions.
the app can also use a user's saved pins and boards to tailor answers. pinterest views this as a testbed for future ai features in its main app, without disrupting the existing experience. the move comes as ai chatbots increasingly compete with traditional search, with companies like google, chatgpt, meta, and shopify also exploring agentic shopping. pinterest focuses on using its own data to train ai models rather than licensing recommendations to other services.
alongside the app, pinterest introduced ai tools for advertisers, including an ai assistant in ads manager beta, a global performance+ creative model that selects the best ad creative, and a model context protocol (mcp) infrastructure layer. mcp allows advertisers to manage campaigns with third-party agentic tools in a standardized way. chief business officer lee brown noted that the future of discovery will be shaped by context, taste, and trusted recommendations, areas where pinterest sees a unique advantage.
why it matters: this shows how ai is reshaping product discovery and advertising, with pinterest testing conversational interfaces that could influence how data scientists design recommendation systems and how businesses target consumers.
source: techcrunch ai: pinterest launches an experimental ai shopping app called ‘ask pinterest’