Pinterest has introduced a new AI-powered tool designed to promote inclusivity and body type representation on its platform. The technology will use artificial intelligence to recognize different body types, taking into account factors such as shape, size and shape.
Pinterest’s Chief Product Officer, Sabrina Ellistold Mashable that the body type AI tool is one of many additions to its growing “range of inclusive AI efforts.”
The tool, which launched today, is currently available in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. For active Pinterest users, the new AI body type tool is somewhat reminiscent of Pinterest’s existing skin tone search tool launched in 2018, which allows users to filter beauty-related Pins based on their specific skin tone via “machine vision.”
Essentially, the tool responds to searches that generate specific image results tailored to different body types. To develop the new AI body type tool, Pinterest collaborated with creators and experts, including the National Association to Promote Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), model and size advocate Tess Holidayand Pinterest creators Natalie Craig, Kellie BrownAnd Stefanie Brito. The feedback and insights the company received were used to improve body representation on the platform in a way that avoids toxicity and trolling.
Tigress Osborn, president of NAAFA, told Mashable that these social media spaces “can be especially difficult for larger people,” referring to the growing wave of online trolls.
“Trolls are ruthless – especially towards fat women who dare to wear anything other than baggy black clothing – but Pinterest has always been safer and more welcoming than many other online spaces. We hope that our work with Pinterest will inspire other companies to join the movement,” she emphasized.
Ellis also highlighted Pinterest’s ethos, signaling the company’s belief that “inspiration starts with inclusivity” and working to develop more inclusive experiences within the mobile app.
Launch of ‘Creator Inclusion Fund’
As part of the September 7 launch of the AI tool, Pinterest is also launching its thirteenth inclusion fund – the Creator Inclusion Fund – continuing its vision to amplify and support the work of historically marginalized creators.
When we look at the Pinterest app and ‘all body-related searches’ in the app, more than half (52%) are related to plus-size fashion, according to Pinterest research. Over the past year, Pinterest noted that searches such as “concert looks plus size” and “plus size wedding dresses” have “increased monumentally.”
According to research from Pinterest, more than half (52 percent) of all body-related searches on the platform involve plus-size fashion. Over the past year, searches such as ‘concert looks plus size’ and ‘plus size wedding dresses’ have increased significantly.
Sabrina Ellis, Pinterest’s Chief Product Officer, stated that the body type tool is the latest addition to the platform’s growing “suite of inclusive AI efforts.”
“At Pinterest we believe that inspiration starts with inclusivity,” Ellis explains. “That’s why we continue to develop inclusive product experiences that make it easier to find the best ideas that feel made for you.”
The tool is currently available in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with plans to expand to other international markets in the future.
Does Pinterest have a new competitor in the AI field?
Last month, a former Pinterest employee launched her own AI app to directly compete with and overtake Pinterest, having already raised $5 million.
The new mobile app Crate, founded by Anna Bofa, is an interesting new contender in the field of AI and mobile app development. An exclusive report from The Information describes Crate as an “AI-powered version of Pinterest.”
For example, the app analyzes users’ content – ranging from TikTok videos to news articles – and generates personalized recommendations on which products they should buy. It also automatically generates summaries and cover photos for folders in the app, where users can store content called ‘crates’.
Editor’s note: This article was written by an employee of nft now in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-3.