Pinterest cuts workforce by around 15 percent to focus on AI | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Pinterest cuts workforce by around 15 percent to focus on AIComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...NewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AIBusinessCloseBusinessPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All BusinessPinterest cuts workforce by around 15 percent to focus on AIUp to 700 employees are set to be laid off by September 30th.Up to 700 employees are set to be laid off by September 30th.by Jess WeatherbedCloseJess WeatherbedNews ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jess WeatherbedJan 27, 2026, 2:06 PM UTCLinkShareGiftPinterest is making cuts to fund its AI plans. Image: The Verge / Jess WeatherbedJess WeatherbedCloseJess WeatherbedPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews.Pinterest is planning to lay off hundreds of workers and reduce its office space to reallocate resources for its artificial intelligence initiatives. In a regulatory filing posted Tuesday, Pinterest says the reduction is expected to impact “less than 15 percent” of its current workforce, and that the layoffs should be complete by September 30th, 2026.Pinterest said it had 4,666 full-time employees as of the end of 2024, which would mean around 700 staffers are impacted by today’s announcement. The document said these changes are to support three “transformation initiatives,” with two of them connected to AI:Reallocating resources to AI-focused roles and teams that drive AI adoption and executionPrioritizing AI‑powered products and capabilitiesAccelerating the transformation of its sales and go-to-market approachOff the back of these changes, Pinterest is set to incur pre-tax restructuring charges of approximately $35 million to $45 million.“We are making organizational changes to further deliver on our AI-forward strategy, which includes hiring AI-proficient talent,” Pinterest spokesperson Tessa Chen said in a statement to The Verge. “As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to say goodbye to some of our team members. We are grateful for their service and supporting them with separation packages and benefits.”The deluge of AI-generated content on Pinterest has been criticized by users — enough so to prompt the company into making features that detect AI images and see less of it in feeds — but that hasn’t deterred Pinterest from injecting the technology across its platform. In October, it released an AI Pinterest Shopping assistant that provides personalized recommendations. The following month, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready said that “our investments in AI and product innovation are paying off,” and that the platform had effectively become “an AI-powered shopping assistant for 600 million consumers.”Update, January 27th: Added statement from Pinterest.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Jess WeatherbedCloseJess WeatherbedNews ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jess WeatherbedAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AIBusinessCloseBusinessPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All BusinessNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsSocial MediaCloseSocial MediaPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Social MediaTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMost PopularMost PopularTikTok USA is brokenPayment processors were against CSAM until Grok started making itEven the big dick subreddit is mad about ICETikTokers are heading to UpScrolled following US takeoverIntel Panther Lake laptop CPU review: call it a comebackThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Pinterest’s strategic realignment is centered on significantly bolstering its artificial intelligence capabilities, evidenced by a workforce reduction of approximately 15 percent, impacting around 700 employees by September 30th, 2026. This restructuring, totaling an estimated $35 million to $45 million in pre-tax restructuring charges, reflects a deliberate shift in priorities, directly linked to the organization’s evolving approach to user engagement and market positioning. The primary impetus for this transformation is the company’s commitment to establishing itself as a robust, AI-driven shopping assistant, a strategy championed by CEO Bill Ready, who has articulated the potential for Pinterest to serve a global consumer base of 600 million individuals through enhanced AI-powered recommendations and a streamlined shopping experience.

The operational changes are structured around three core “transformation initiatives,” all intrinsically tied to the advancement of AI. Firstly, there’s a focused reallocation of resources toward AI-centric roles and teams, designed to accelerate the adoption and practical execution of AI solutions. Secondly, the company is prioritizing the development and implementation of AI-powered products and capabilities, a move aimed at directly strengthening the core functionality of its platform. Finally, Pinterest is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of its sales and go-to-market approach, leveraging AI to personalize the customer journey and refine its commercial strategies.

This realignment follows a period of scrutiny regarding the proliferation of AI-generated content on the platform, prompting the implementation of features intended to mitigate this issue and regain user trust. Despite these concerns, the company’s leadership remains committed to integrating AI as a fundamental element of its operations. The organization is leveraging AI to augment its existing shopping assistant, offering users more precisely tailored product recommendations, and aiming to drive a significant increase in sales volumes. The strategic investment in AI technologies signals a broader ambition for Pinterest to not only maintain its position within the visually-driven social media landscape, but also to establish itself as a leading platform for e-commerce innovation, predicated on the intelligent application of artificial intelligence. The announced restructuring represents a signal of intent, demonstrating the company's serious dedication to prioritizing this new direction.