Pinterest gives users control over AI-generated content in their feeds

Pinterest has introduced a new AI content tuner that allows users to control how much AI-generated content appears in their feeds, responding to widespread user complaints about synthetic media flooding the platform. The feature represents a notable pullback from the company’s previous AI expansion, acknowledging that users want more control over the balance between human and AI-created inspiration content.

How it works: Users can now adjust AI content visibility through their settings by clicking “refine your recommendations” and managing AI content levels for specific pin categories.

• Pinterest identifies beauty, art, fashion, and home decor as categories where AI-generated content particularly proliferates.
• The tuner is currently available on Android and desktop systems, with iOS rollout coming soon.
• However, ZDNET testing revealed the feature still allows some AI-generated posts to slip through, including a Halloween-themed charcuterie spread that appeared artificial.

Why users pushed back: Pinterest’s earlier AI rollout sparked significant user backlash on platforms like Reddit, where people complained about the overwhelming presence of synthetic content.

• “I stopped using Pinterest because 80% of the results are AI-generated images,” one user wrote in a Reddit thread.
• Users primarily turn to Pinterest for inspiration on hands-on activities like crafts, cooking, and home decoration—tasks that require real-world context and human creativity.
• The platform’s utility fundamentally relies on authentic human experiences that translate into physical projects and activities.

The bigger picture: Pinterest’s retreat highlights the tension between AI advancement and user preferences in creative applications.

• Last year, the company had rolled out multiple AI features including Performance+ campaigns for advertisers, AI-powered visual search, and creator tools with personalized background generation.
• The backlash demonstrates that some platforms’ core value depends on human-generated content, despite pressure to integrate AI capabilities.
• This user resistance underscores that AI excels at certain tasks like coding and queries, but struggles with embodied, tactile creativity that requires human touch.

Detection challenges: It remains unclear how Pinterest identifies or tags AI-generated posts, which could explain why synthetic content continues appearing despite the new controls.