Pinterest CEO: Agentic Shopping Distant, Pinterest is AI Assistant

During its second-quarter earnings call, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready offered a nuanced perspective on the future of artificial intelligence in commerce, positioning his company as an “AI-enabled shopping assistant” even as he downplayed the immediate threat of a fully “agentic web.” Ready believes the widespread adoption of AI agents that independently shop on users’ behalf remains a distant prospect.

Ready’s comments addressed investor concerns about the “agentic web” – a concept where AI agents conduct purchases on behalf of users. Such a development could significantly disrupt the traditional search funnel, particularly impacting platforms like Pinterest, which thrives by capturing users at the nascent stages of their shopping journey, when ideas are still taking shape. Investors fear that if AI truly understands user interests, it could preemptively direct consumers to personalized recommendations, bypassing platforms that currently inspire early-stage discovery.

However, Ready argued that the notion of an AI agent autonomously purchasing “all the things for you without you doing anything” is a “very, very long cycle” away. He questioned users’ readiness to fully delegate such decisions, reserving this possibility only for “very utilitarian journeys.” Despite this skepticism regarding the agentic future, Ready emphasized Pinterest’s current role as an AI-powered assistant. He noted that while the company might not explicitly market itself this way, users often describe Pinterest as “getting them” because the app proactively delivers personalized recommendations that align with individual tastes and styles, much like a skilled personal shopper.

The company characterizes the current era of AI-driven experiences as a “Cambrian moment,” highlighting its existing integration of AI across various functionalities. This includes sophisticated AI-powered recommendation and personalization systems, the deployment of proprietary AI models—including multimodal AI that seamlessly combines text and images—and advancements in visual search, conversational search, and AI-driven advertising efficiencies.

While Pinterest champions its proactive use of AI, the platform has simultaneously grappled with some of the technology’s less desirable side effects. Notably, the earnings call did not address growing user concerns about the proliferation of low-quality, AI-generated content on the platform. Earlier this year, Pinterest was compelled to roll out new tools, such as labels for AI-generated images and user controls to filter out generative AI Pins, in an effort to combat this influx. Similarly, the discussion omitted mention of mass user bans, which many users attribute to an over-reliance on poorly designed AI moderation systems. While Pinterest has dismissed these incidents as internal errors, similar problems have surfaced across other major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Beyond its product applications, Ready also touched on Pinterest’s strategy for competing in the fierce war for AI talent. He asserted that the company attracts professionals who are passionate about using AI “for good” and “responsibly.” He expressed confidence that Pinterest “punches above its weight” in this regard, especially given its mission to fine-tune AI for positivity, offering a more constructive alternative to the broader social media landscape.

Financially, Pinterest reported second-quarter revenue of $998 million, surpassing analyst expectations. However, adjusted earnings per share of 33 cents fell short of the anticipated 35 cents, leading to a drop in the company’s stock post-earnings. The company also highlighted significant user growth trends, noting that over half of its monthly active users are now Gen Z, and male users have increased by a substantial 95% year-over-year.