Pinterest adds controls to let you limit the amount of ‘AI slop’ in your feed (techcrunch.com)

Pinterest announced new user controls to limit how much AI-generated content appears in individual feeds, responding to user backlash over an influx of so-called “AI slop.” The tools, found under Settings > Refine your recommendations, let people opt to see less GenAI imagery in specific categories prone to synthetic content—initially beauty, art, fashion and home décor—with more categories to be added based on feedback. Pinterest also said it will make its existing “AI modified” labels more prominent; those labels appear when image metadata signals generation or when Pinterest’s own detection systems flag content. The controls launch first on the website and Android, rolling to iOS in the coming weeks. This move matters because unchecked synthetic content can erode trust in discovery platforms and damage engagement and revenue; Pinterest warns the problem could threaten its reputation and bottom line. The change highlights broader technical and product challenges for recommender systems: reliably detecting AI-generated media (via metadata and ML detectors), surfacing provenance to users, and letting personalization trade off between novelty and authenticity. Pinterest cites research estimating GenAI now makes up roughly 57% of online material, underscoring why site-level controls and clearer labeling are becoming essential tools for content curation and platform integrity.