Pinterest has introduced a new AI-powered tool designed to promote body type inclusivity and 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 “series of inclusive AI efforts.”
Launched today, the tool is currently available in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. For active Pinterest users, the new body type AI tool is somewhat reminiscent of Pinterest’s existing skintone 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 queries generating specific image results tailored to different body types. In developing the new AI body typing tool, Pinterest collaborated with creators and experts, including the National Association to Promote Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), proponent of models and sizes Tess Vacationand Pinterest creators Natalie Craig, Kelly BrownAnd Stephanie 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.
NAAFA president Tigress Osborn 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 clothes — but Pinterest has always been safer and more welcoming than many other online spaces. We hope our work with Pinterest will inspire other companies to join the movement as well,” she stressed.
Ellis also highlighted Pinterest’s ethos, indicating the company’s belief that “inspiration starts with inclusiveness” and is 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 inclusive fund – the Creator Inclusion Fund – continuing its vision to empower and support the work of historically marginalized creators.
Looking at the Pinterest app and “all body-related searches” within the app, more than half (52%) are plus size fashion related, according to research from Pinterest. Over the past year, Pinterest noted that searches such as “plus size concert looks” and “plus size wedding dresses” have “popped up monumentally.”
According to research from Pinterest, more than half (52 percent) of all body-related searches on the platform are related to plus size fashion. In the past year, searches such as ‘plus size concert looks’ and ‘plus size wedding dresses’ have increased significantly.
Pinterest chief product officer Sabrina Ellis stated that the body typing tool is the latest addition to the platform’s growing “suite of inclusive AI efforts”.
“At Pinterest, we believe that inspiration starts with inclusion,” explains Ellis. “That’s why we continue to develop inclusive product experiences that make it easier to find the best ideas that seem 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 AI competitor?
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 AI and mobile app development. In an exclusive report from The Information, Crate is described as an “AI-powered version of Pinterest.”
For example, the app analyzes user content — ranging from TikTok videos to news articles — and generates personalized recommendations on which products to 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 a staff member of nft now in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-3.