Pinterest set to make major change following user backlash

Pinterest users will now be able to limit the amount of generative artificial intelligence (AI) images they encounter on the platform, following a surge of criticism regarding the proliferation of such content.

The new feature allows individuals to adjust their preferences within the app’s settings, specifically under the ‘refine your recommendations’ tab, to toggle AI content on or off across various categories.

This move comes as users have increasingly voiced frustrations, calling for a better balance between human-created and AI-generated material on the popular virtual vision board and shopping link app.

Currently accessible to Android and desktop users, the functionality is expected to roll out to iOS devices in the coming weeks.

Pinterest stated that these new tools are designed to offer its community greater control over their in-app experience, addressing concerns about the growing prevalence of AI-generated content.

One anonymous reviewer on the Apple Store wrote earlier this year that AI pins were “cluttering up Pinterest, and it’s making it impossible to find real stories that happened, real images that people photographed”.

Another said the content was “out of control”, adding: “I would love to see Pinterest advocate for the artists, designers and content creators who use this space by cracking down on AI-generated posts.”

Matt Madrigal, chief technology officer at Pinterest, said: “With our new GenAI controls, we’re empowering people to personalise their Pinterest experience more than ever – striking the right balance between human creativity and AI innovation, and ensuring every feed truly reflects what inspires them most.”

More than half of all online material is now made using generative AI, according to Pinterest.

Generative AI is a more advanced form of automation whereby machines can create something completely new based on a vast set of data.

It has rapidly become a bigger part of people’s online experiences, with the technology behind chatbots like Chat GPT and able to create content like posts and images for social media.