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Pinterest AI Flags Real Photos, Ignores Bot Content
22 Feb
Summary
- Pinterest's AI wrongly flags human-made images, especially of women.
- Users report AI-generated content overwhelming feeds and boards.
- Company lays off hundreds to prioritize AI-powered features.
Users are reporting significant issues with Pinterest's AI-driven content moderation, which is reportedly mislabeling human-made images as AI-generated. This is particularly problematic for content featuring women, while actual AI-generated 'slop' goes unflagged. The platform's tools designed to curb AI content in user feeds are proving ineffective, leading to AI images appearing on boards and AI moderators banning accounts without clear explanations.
Pinterest has stated it uses a combination of AI and human review for content moderation and has an appeals process for errors. However, this situation is escalating concerns for users who have long advocated for maintaining the platform's original experience. The company has faced criticism for years regarding its handling of AI-generated content.
In March 2025, Pinterest updated its privacy policy to clarify that user data from public pins is used for machine learning and training its AI models, including Pinterest Canvas. More recently, in May 2025, widespread account bans were reported, with many users suspecting a faulty AI moderation system. Despite introducing tools in October 2025 to filter AI content, Pinterest acknowledged it would not eliminate the issue entirely. The company announced last month, in January 2026, a significant layoff of hundreds of employees to refocus on AI-powered products, such as Pinterest Assistant.
