Shoppers can now use images to find fashion trends and designs with Pinterest’s new visual search tools powered by AI.
Instead of typing what they’re searching for, users tap on a picture, and the platform generates different keywords to describe it, making clothes shopping even more exciting.
Pinterest believes these upgrades will bring ideas to life, especially since it’s sometimes difficult to describe clothing with words like vibe, chill, or nonchalant.
With these tools, users will better interact with image pins while shopping for their fashion taste or trying to find something new. For now, the advancements will work on women’s fashion across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. but aim to expand to more categories, like men’s wear, and cross international borders.
Pinterest uses generative AI to show what users love about pins
Pinterest VP of Design, Dana Cho, said that the company’s visual search technology is a great example of the change in how shoppers interact with and find inspiration. She further stated that the new upgrades will help users personalize their shopping experience by finding and being proud of their unique fashion sense.
When Pinterest users tap on a pin, an animated glow appears around the image, highlighting standout details like patterns, designs, and shades. The platform then uses Visual Language Models (VLMs) to create short, clear descriptions about the image.
Additionally, Pinterest uses multimodal embedding, similar to Google’s multimodal search, to create precise words that can narrow a user’s search query. However, the company did not disclose the types of multimodal embedding models in its arsenal.
The update comes as Pinterest faces increasing competition from platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where algorithmic discovery has become a key driver of engagement. By sharpening its search tools, Pinterest is doubling down on what it does best: turning inspiration into action through smarter, more intuitive discovery.
Users can now refine fashion searches by color, occasion, and style
In addition to the visual search technology, Pinterest introduced a new refinement bar that will look for alternatives to the results users search for in different colors, styles, and occasions.
For instance, a user who finds a casual skirt they like but needs a more formal option can use the “occasion” filter to see similar styles for the office. Moreover, users can use these new search features to find specific designs in different colors or fabrics.
In the near future, Pinterest claims that users will be able to long-press on any pin on their Home feed to start searching instantly.
This advancement follows an announcement that the platform plans to label AI-generated pictures and allow users to set limits on the number of AI images they see after several users complained about too many AI image results. The growing use of AI images worried many users who feared these “fakes” would make it more difficult to find real images that could inspire them to continue shopping.
“As people encounter AI-generated content on Pinterest, we are empowering our users to make more informed choices about the content they see,” said Matt Madrigal, Chief Technology Officer.
Madrigal continued to say that Gen AI content on Pinterest should enhance users’ ability to discover and act on their inspiration, and they were intentionally approaching this new landscape in a thoughtful way that benefits everyone on Pinterest.
As a result of advancing the visual search features and updates centered on AI, Pinterest aims to redefine how people view and use it. The platform wants to be more of a shopping tool that uses AI to help users find their style and less of a site overwhelmed by the technology.
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