During Pinterest’s Q2 2025 earnings call, CEO Bill Ready pitched the platform as an “AI-enabled shopping assistant,” highlighting its knack for serving up personalized recommendations that vibe with users’ tastes. “When users say, ‘Pinterest just gets me,’ it’s because the app proactively suggests ideas that match their style, like a personal shopper would,” Ready said. But he pumped the brakes on the idea of an “agentic web,” where AI fully shops for users, calling it a “very, very long cycle” away due to consumer reluctance to hand over control for most purchases.
Pinterest’s AI shines in the early stages of shopping, where users hunt for inspiration. With over half of its monthly active users being Gen Z and a 95% year-over-year surge in male users, the platform’s AI-driven recommendations are clearly hitting the mark. However, Ready didn’t address challenges like the flood of low-quality AI-generated content, which led Pinterest to roll out tools like AI image labels and filters to keep the platform authentic.
What Are AI-Enabled Shopping Assistants?
AI-enabled shopping assistants are smart systems that guide users through the shopping journey, from inspiration to checkout, using advanced algorithms. Unlike basic search tools, these assistants leverage multimodal AI—melding text, images, and voice—to deliver tailored suggestions. For example, Pinterest’s visual search lets users snap a photo of a dress and find similar styles instantly, while its conversational search handles queries like “vintage summer outfits.” It’s like having a stylist who knows your vibe.
Other platforms are in the game too. Amazon’s Rufus, launched in 2024, answers product questions and suggests items based on your browsing. Google’s Gemini 2.5 weaves shopping into its Deep Think mode, recommending products across retailers with scary-good accuracy. These tools don’t just search—they predict what you’ll love, making shopping smoother and more intuitive.
How AI Agents Are Transforming Commerce
AI agents take shopping assistants up a notch by automating tasks with more independence. Unlike simple recommendation engines, agents can compare prices, apply discounts, or even manage orders. Some standout examples:
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Salesforce Agentforce: Rolled out in 2024 and expanded in 2025, it automates e-commerce tasks like inventory checks and personalized deals, making shopping seamless for businesses. For example, it helps companies like Accenture streamline sales processes and The Adecco Group enhance candidate CVs.
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Shopify’s AI Sidekick: Updated in 2025, this tool uses multi-step reasoning to predict demand and nudge customers toward products, boosting sales for merchants. It also offers localization and image generation to tailor experiences globally.
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Pinterest’s AI Models: Using multimodal AI, Pinterest dynamically curates boards that evolve with user preferences, keeping engagement high by suggesting ideas that feel personal and relevant.
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Google’s AI Mode: Launched in 2025, Google’s AI Mode replaces AI Overviews, blending multimodal AI (text, images, audio) with agent-driven features. It offers personalized product discovery, virtual try-ons, and agentic checkout, allowing users to add items to carts or complete purchases via conversational prompts. It’s transforming search into a seamless shopping experience.
While these agents are powerful, Ready emphasized that fully agentic shopping—where AI buys without human input—isn’t close. Shoppers still want to call the shots, especially for creative purchases like fashion or decor, where personal taste is king.
The Consumer Mindset: Embracing AI with Limits
Consumers are warming to AI-driven shopping but aren’t ready to let AI take the wheel completely. Shoppers love curated recommendations, especially younger users like Pinterest’s Gen Z crowd, but they want the final say, particularly for emotional or high-value buys like gifts. Privacy concerns also loom large—data leaks, like ChatGPT’s shared chats in 2025, make users cautious about sharing too much. Plus, low-quality AI content, as seen on Pinterest, can erode trust. The platform’s new tools, like AI-generated image labels, aim to rebuild confidence by prioritizing transparency.
The shift to agent-enabled shopping will depend on trust. Younger users are more open to AI tools, but widespread adoption of fully agentic systems will take time as platforms refine accuracy and address privacy worries.
The Future: A Slow Burn to Agentic Commerce
Fully agentic shopping is a ways off, but AI’s role in commerce is growing fast. Platforms like Pinterest will keep focusing on inspiration, using AI to supercharge discovery through:
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Hyper-Personalization: Real-time data, like location or trending styles, will sharpen recommendations.
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Conversational Commerce: Natural language processing will make shopping feel like texting a friend.
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Ethical AI: Pinterest’s push for “positive” AI, as Ready noted, could set a benchmark for responsible personalization, tackling issues like biased moderation.
Despite a strong Q2 2025 with $998 million in revenue, Pinterest’s stock dipped as earnings per share hit 33 cents, missing analysts’ 35-cent target. Still, the platform’s AI investments signal a long-term bet on smarter shopping.
Pinterest’s vision as an AI-enabled shopping assistant is a peek into commerce’s future, where inspiration meets intelligence. While Bill Ready sees fully agentic shopping as distant, the foundation is set with multimodal AI, visual search, and personalized recommendations. As consumers grow comfortable with AI’s role, platforms must prioritize trust, quality, and human connection to win hearts—and carts. For now, Pinterest’s “Cambrian moment” is about making discovery delightful, proving AI can be a partner, not a replacement, in the shopping journey.