Pinterest has unveiled an experimental standalone app called “Ask Pinterest,” aiming to bring more conversational, natural-language product discovery to shopping by using its Taste Graph data. The release also bundles new AI tools for advertisers, including Pi
On a day when adtech executives are gathering for Cannes Lions and talking up AI’s next role in marketing, Pinterest is trying to change how people shop inside its world.
The company announced an experimental app called “Ask Pinterest.” It’s built to explore a more conversational approach to shopping and product discovery. with consumers asking questions in natural language to get personalized recommendations and inspiration. Pinterest says the experience is designed to extend beyond the main Pinterest app’s visual discovery by adding a chatbot-like interface.
At the heart of the concept is Pinterest’s “Taste Graph. ” the company’s internal system that maps people to their interests and aesthetics. “Ask Pinterest” will initially be available in limited access. with Pinterest positioning the standalone app as a place to test the technology without disrupting the core Pinterest experience.
Pinterest also says the chatbot experience could handle more complex, multi-step requests that don’t fit cleanly into traditional search. The company points to scenarios like planning a dinner party or furnishing a room over time. where the app can help while retaining the user’s context across sessions. It can also draw on users’ own saved Pins and Boards to personalize its answers.
The company’s broader intent is to learn from this experiment and carry those lessons into future AI-powered experiences for its flagship app. In doing so. Pinterest is effectively placing its bet on the value of its own data. rather than trying to become a licensing-ready product recommendation source for other AI services.
That choice lands in a moment of intense competition for consumer attention. AI chatbots are increasingly competing with traditional search engines for discovery. and other companies have already moved into shopping assistance—Google has used AI for shopping tasks like helping online shoppers find products. track prices. and check out. while ChatGPT experimented with agentic shopping. Meta, Shopify, and others have also explored similar directions.
For Pinterest, the pressure isn’t only on consumer-facing discovery. Alongside “Ask Pinterest,” the company introduced updates aimed at advertisers, also tied to AI. In its Ads Manager in the U.S., Pinterest added a new AI assistant that is still in beta. Globally. it introduced an AI model called Performance+ creative. designed to help advertisers choose between different ad creatives and identify the one likely to perform best each time the ad is shown.
Pinterest also unveiled Pinterest Model Context Protocol (MCP), an infrastructure layer meant for advertisers running campaigns on Pinterest’s platform. The company says it will let advertisers manage and monitor campaigns using other third-party agentic tools in a standardized way.
Pinterest’s Chief Business Officer, Lee Brown, framed the company’s approach around the shifting nature of discovery. He said, “the future of discovery won’t be driven by keywords alone. It will be shaped by context. taste. and trusted recommendations. ” adding that Pinterest believes it has a unique advantage in that space.
Pinterest Ask Pinterest experimental app AI shopping conversational discovery Taste Graph Ads Manager Performance+ creative MCP Pinterest Model Context Protocol agentic tools advertisers