Pinterest users say “AI slop” is breaking the platform’s promise of real inspiration
A report says a surge of synthetic images, spammy posts and ad-heavy feeds is leaving Pinterest users frustrated, distrustful and, in some cases, ready to quit
Wired recounts how one long-time Pinterest user, Caitlyn Jones, saved what looked like a reliable slow-cooker recipe, bought the ingredients, then noticed a glaring red flag: the instructions told her to “log” the chicken into the cooker.
Clicking through to the blog behind the Pin, she found an “About” page fronted by what appeared to be an AI-generated persona, complete with glossy images and a vague, generic biography. She cooked the meal anyway and told Wired it turned out watery and bland. Jones later complained on r/Pinterest and says she has since stopped using the app, arguing that the authentic Pins and people she valued are being crowded out.
The rise of “AI slop”
Wired frames the wider problem as “AI slop”, low-quality, mass-produced content generated to look plausible rather than to be useful. Alexios Mantzarlis of Cornell Tech told Wired that this is not a Pinterest-only issue, but a broader platform trend.
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Pinterest may be particularly exposed because it is image-led, and convincing static images are generally easier to generate than convincing video. Wired also notes that Pinterest pushes users off-platform, which can be attractive to content farms that monetise outbound clicks with pop-ups, banners and listicles.
Pinterest’s response, and the limits of labelling
Wired reports that when it shared examples of dubious sites, Pinterest deactivated 15 for violating policies against deceptive or untrustworthy destinations. A Pinterest spokesperson told Wired the company bans harmful ads and spam, whether AI-generated or not, and acknowledged that some users want to see less generative content. Pinterest has introduced labels for “AI modified” Pins and tools to adjust how much AI content users see, but Wired notes that labels appear only after a user clicks, and they do not apply to ads.
