February 23, 2026
Pins, bans, and AI shenanigans
Pinterest is drowning in a sea of AI slop and auto-moderation
Artists say Pinterest’s AI turned feeds into junk, mislabeled art, and random bans
TLDR: Pinterest’s AI is mislabeling and removing real art while feeds fill with machine-made images, frustrating artists and slowing their work. Commenters blast ads and spam, dub it a honeypot, and hunt for alternatives like Bookmarker and ATProto; this matters because creators’ livelihoods and trust are being undermined.
Artists are seething: Pinterest’s big push into AI has turned the once-wholesome mood board into an AI slop buffet, with creators claiming the site’s auto-moderation keeps yanking their real work and slapping “AI modified” labels on hand-drawn pieces. In a report by 404 Media, illustrator Tiana Oreglia says appeals eat into her art time while “female figures” keep getting flagged even when fully clothed. Pinterest insists it uses both AI and humans, with a review process to fix mistakes—but the crowd is unconvinced.
On r/Pinterest, one artist describes an “endless loop” of appeal → label removed → new art mislabeled again. Another says they can’t scroll 100 pins without drowning in “AI slop,” and older works from a decade ago still get auto-tagged. Cue the peanut gallery: HN’s interstice says the ads alone make the site “no longer usable,” conspiracists like consp call it a honeypot for eBay clicks, and toomuchtodo is already asking for ATProto (the decentralized social tech behind Bluesky) alternatives. Meanwhile, kaizenb drops a plug for Bookmarker like it’s a lifeboat.
The vibe? Chaos. The memes? “Pin-occhio” calling everything AI. The drama? Creators fighting bots, appeals, and ad overload while the community debates whether Pinterest can be saved—or if it’s time to pin a goodbye.
Key Points
- •Pinterest has increased use of AI for moderation and labeling, which users say causes erroneous takedowns and misclassifications.
- •Artists report hand-drawn works being auto-labeled as “AI modified,” sometimes repeatedly despite successful appeals.
- •Specific flagged content includes clothed female figures, a bikini-clad woman holding knives, and a stock photo flagged for “self-harm.”
- •Pinterest states it enforces clear guidelines via AI plus human review and offers an appeals process where humans can reverse mistakes.
- •Some appeals take 24–48 hours and may be rejected; users also report feeds saturated with AI-generated art overshadowing originals.