Pinterest is focusing on body diversity with new AI technology

Every day, we are bombarded with content on social media affecting us and our self-image. If you primarily see people who are of average beauty and thinness, and perhaps do not fit this image, this can in many cases reinforce a negative self-image. In order to combat this and continue to live up to its reputation as a positive utopia of the Internet, Ask Pinterest Now New technology for body type. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology analyzes content based on body shapes and feeds the algorithm a more diverse overall image.

Pinterest wants to promote a positive online experience

For many years, Pinterest has been committed to creating a positive, inclusive online experience for all users. The platform has already integrated options to adjust search results based on skin tone and hair type. Now Pinterest is going a step further and proudly showcasing its latest achievement: body type technology.

The AI ​​solution is used to analyze more than 5 billion images on Pinterest to identify the body types depicted in them. The algorithm then automatically produces a more inclusive score, which should make all people feel more represented.

This technology was developed in collaboration with internal and external experts, such as form and content creator Tess Holliday or the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA for short). A minor downside is that this technology is currently only used in the USA, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is currently unknown when German users will be able to taste it.

Holistic nutrition can increase well-being

Of course, it was already possible to search for fashion or everyday inspiration on the Internet before. However, these searches often caused frustration, especially for people who did not have their current preferred ideal body: either the requested clothing items were not available in the desired size, or the selection of results reinforced existing insecurities about one’s appearance.

Searches on Pinterest recently have shown an increased interest in inspiration specifically for larger sizes. For example, the search query “summer clothes for curvy mom” increased 47 times. The interest is there. The only question was: Why should overweight people perform a special search query?

As activist and model Tess Holliday emphasizes, technology can help significantly impact perception and therefore the well-being of many people: “Authentic representation on a platform without having to actively modify body shape or size to get the desired results is for people’s well-being. Young people around the world are more important than ever. I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to help Pinterest grow to bring more attention to overweight people and show everyone that real change is possible.