February 26, 2024

Pinterest’s AI-Powered Inclusive Filters Prove Popular Among Gen Z Users

Pinterest’s use of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered inclusive filters is proving popular among its Gen Z users.

Pinterest Using AI

Pinterest is a digital inspiration space with nearly 500 million users that aims to enhance user satisfaction with inclusive AI.

The inception of AI-powered filters in 2018 marked a significant stride for Pinterest. These filters, designed for skin tone, body type, and hair patterns, enable users to find images resonating with their personal features.

According to Business of Fashion, results show that in 2023 alone, searches utilizing hair-pattern filters surged by 41%, and those with skin-tone filters increased by 51%.

“Our focus was on our most marginalized users, who often had to add numerous qualifiers to find inspiring results,” said Rachel Hardy, Pinterest’s director of consumer product marketing.

“Eliminating the need for these modifiers makes the experience less painful and more inspirational.”

The Inclusive AI

The ‘inclusive AI’ does more than just filter images. It navigates through Pinterest’s catalog of 5 billion images, simplifying the user’s journey to find relatable content.

This advancement has proven especially alluring to Gen Z users, who expect and appreciate personalized content. 

As a result, Gen-Z users now represent over 40% of Pinterest’s monthly active users, and their shopping behavior on the platform has escalated by 50% year over year in 2023.

Pinterest’s shift towards a more commerce-centric model began under CEO Bill Ready in June 2022. The company continually refines its inclusive AI by collaborating with inclusivity experts and users. 

“As we expand to these different communities, they have different needs,” said Hardy. “We have to be really thoughtful and deliberate about partnering with real humans, getting feedback, talking to experts who know this space, who know the things that can be harmful or not inclusive.”

Sara Keenan

Tech Reporter at POCIT. Following her master's degree in journalism, Sara cultivated a deep passion for writing and driving positive change for Black and Brown individuals across all areas of life. This passion expanded to include the experiences of Black and Brown people in tech thanks to her internship experience as an editorial assistant at a tech startup.