Pinterest is enhancing its commitment to body type diversity with a new consumer-facing tool that allows users to filter search results by different body types. Initially focused on women's fashion and wedding ideas, this feature builds on Pinterest's body type technology introduced earlier this year. This innovative computer vision technology analyzes shape, size, and form to identify a variety of body types within Pinterest's extensive library of over 5 billion images, serving as the AI backbone for this new front-end tool. Pinterest aims to create a more inclusive search experience while addressing the well-documented harms of body size discrimination, which affected approximately 34 million Americans in 2019, according to the Campaign for Size Freedom.
Megan D’Alessio, former manager of inclusion and diversity at Pinterest, highlighted the alarming levels of body dissatisfaction among youth, particularly noting that “50% of adolescent girls are unhappy with their bodies compared to 31% of boys.” This issue has sparked significant discussions around the potential dangers of social media. Following the revelations from whistleblower Frances Haugen regarding Instagram's negative impact on teen girls' body image, Meta has faced increased scrutiny and legal challenges from U.S. attorneys general across numerous states.
To preempt potential regulations regarding the influence of social media on body image, Pinterest has developed technology aimed at better representing diverse body types on its platform. This body type technology is part of a broader initiative focusing on “inclusive AI,” which already includes filters for skin tone and hair patterns. Pinterest reports that this initiative has improved the visibility of various body types in women’s fashion searches in the U.S. by five times.
The new body type filter is now rolling out to Pinterest users, allowing them to refine searches for women’s fashion or wedding ideas based on body type. Pinterest believes this will not only enhance search diversity but also boost user engagement. For instance, after introducing its skin tone range filter in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, Pinterest observed a 70% year-over-year increase in users saving Pins across various skin tone ranges.
“We are dedicated to fostering a more positive internet, and through these developments, we hope to provide a more personalized and inclusive experience on Pinterest,” stated Sabrina Ellis, Pinterest’s chief of product. “As we are still in the early testing phases, we look forward to sharing further insights and updates soon.”
Update, 11/29/23, 1:09 PM ET: Megan D’Alessio left Pinterest this month, prompting the change in her title to “former.”
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