Pinterest has unveiled a new experimental web app called Ask Pinterest, which acts as a conversational assistant for product search and shopping. The development will allow the company to test a conversational approach to user engagement that it plans to eventually integrate directly into the core Pinterest platform.
Pinterest has unveiled a new experimental web app called Ask Pinterest, which acts as a conversational assistant for product search and shopping. The development will allow the company to test a conversational approach to user engagement that it plans to eventually integrate directly into the core Pinterest platform.
This is reported by TechCrunch, citing an official statement from the company. This year, the event is largely focused on artificial intelligence tools for marketing and advertising.
The new Ask Pinterest service is powered by the company’s internal database Taste Graph, which connects users with their interests and aesthetic preferences. Creating a separate application allows developers to experiment with new AI technologies without disrupting the familiar interface of the main platform. Currently, access to the web version of the assistant is open to a limited number of users on both mobile devices and desktops.
The chatbot is designed to handle complex, multi-step queries that are difficult to formulate in a regular search bar. For example, users can ask AI to help plan dinner or step-by-step guide them through the furniture selection process for a room. If authorized, Ask Pinterest can use the user’s saved pins and boards to maximize personalization of responses.
The future of search will not be defined by keywords alone, but will be shaped by context, tastes and trusted recommendations, says Pinterest’s chief commercial officer Lee Brown, who stressed that this is where the company sees its unique advantage.
Last year, the service added Pinterest Assistant to help users find clothes, furniture, and other items in its app. It uses artificial intelligence and information about user activity to personalize responses.
