Pinterest is enhancing user experience by implementing new features aimed at distinguishing AI-generated content on its platform. The company has announced the introduction of automated labels that will identify images created or modified by generative AI, enabling users to minimize such content while browsing related topics.
Matt Madrigal, Pinterest’s Chief Technology Officer, stated, “By helping users recognize AI-generated content, we are enabling informed decisions about what they view. Our aim is for AI content on Pinterest to enrich the user experience, making it easier to find inspiration while ensuring we navigate this evolving landscape thoughtfully for all our users.”
The rollout of Pinterest’s Gen AI labels will occur on a global scale, designed to safeguard users from misleading content. These labels will appear as an “AI modified” notice in the lower left corner when users interact with a pin in detail. Pinterest determines the AI involvement by examining the image’s metadata, potentially utilizing hidden markers similar to those in Google’s SynthID or Adobe’s Content Credentials.
Additionally, Pinterest has developed classifiers capable of identifying generative AI content even in the absence of metadata. Although detection technologies can sometimes be unreliable, users will have the opportunity to challenge any mislabeling of their pins.
User feedback indicates a substantial amount of concern over the increasing prevalence of AI-generated images, which some believe detracts from Pinterest’s primary function as a moodboard tool, thereby complicating practical searches for inspiration.
This trend poses particular difficulties for artists seeking authentic reference materials. Many pins featuring clothing, accessories, or furniture may depict items that are fictional, which diminishes the effectiveness of these resources. In terms of inspiration, the realistic nature of AI-generated content could mislead users about the feasibility of certain styles or designs in actual practice.
A forthcoming experimental feature will enable users to filter out specific AI-generated images in categories particularly susceptible to such modifications, including beauty and art. Users will have access to a “see fewer” option in the three-dot menu of individual pins, which will guide Pinterest’s algorithms to recommend a reduced amount of similar content. As this feature is further developed, it remains unspecified how much content will be filtered out, with hopes that an extensive filtering option may become available in the future.
