Good news for Pinterest users weary of the recent influx of AI-generated content: the platform has officially rolled out a new policy to label AI-generated imagery. This move comes in response to a growing trend of AI-created “slop,” as some users have described it, which has reportedly become so pervasive that some are leaving the platform.
In early March, a report highlighted the rising tide of AI-generated content on Pinterest. This content, often designed to redirect users to spammy websites, has become overwhelming. In response, Pinterest announced it was developing new AI detection and labeling features. “We have been building labeling of AI-generated or modified content to provide relevant context to users about what they see on Pinterest,” the company stated. “We’ll continue to expand these labels in the coming months.”
Last week, Pinterest updated its official documentation to reflect this new policy. The rules now state, “Pinterest may display a label in the foreground of an image Pin when we detect that it has been generated or modified with AI. This is in accordance with IPTC standard for photo metadata.” The platform is also “working on ways to expand our capabilities to better identify GenAI content in the future through additional technologies.”
The IPTC Photo Metadata Standard is primarily used for alt-text descriptions, but it also includes information about image editing processes and the tools used in an image’s creation. Pinterest is using this information, alongside additional detection methods, to identify and label AI-generated content.
The new tags have already begun appearing on a small selection of Pins over the last couple of months. These “AI generated” or “AI modified” tags are overlaid near the bottom left of the image. Although not watermarks, the labels are designed to be noticeable, helping users quickly identify AI-created content.
While the new labeling system is a welcome step toward transparency for organic Pins, the system won’t be as transparent for paid promotion as it will only display a disclosure in the “Why am I seeing this ad?” section, indicating whether the ad includes modified or AI-generated content, as detected through metadata. Nonetheless, the expansion of detection and transparency measures will help users make informed decisions about the content they see on the platform.
Despite concerns about the impact of AI content, Pinterest’s overall usage has remained strong, reporting record-high numbers of 553 million monthly active users in Q4. However, as AI-generated content continues to evolve, Pinterest’s proactive steps to address the issue are a positive development. It is worth noting that Pinterest also offers a new toggle allowing users to opt out of having their Pins used to train its AI models. All user content is eligible to be used for AI training as of April 30th, unless users opt out.
In a statement to SMT, Pinterest elaborated on the expansion of their AI labels: “Impressions on generative AI content make up a small percentage of the total impressions on Pinterest. As people continue experimenting with generative AI content, we are working to provide users with more control and context over the content they see on Pinterest. Pinterest will continue intentionally leveraging AI, such as our inclusive AI features, to enhance the experience for our users and creators.”
