Pinterest executives unveiled the company’s new generative AI foundation model “Canvas” at the VB Transform Conference. The model is designed to enhance existing images and products on the platform. This step marks a significant leap in Pinterest’s AI strategy, positioning the company at the forefront of visual discovery technology.

Anthony Suarez, Senior Director of Developer Enablement at Pinterest, introduced Canvas to tech leaders and innovators. He explained, “We made assumptions at the beginning that the pace of innovation would really require us to be adapting and evolving what we built to keep up with a changing landscape.”

Canvas stands out from other text-to-image models by focusing on enhancing existing images rather than generating new ones from scratch. This approach fits hand in glove with Pinterest’s core mission of inspiring users through visual discovery.

The role of Canvas in Pinterest’s AI-powered ecosystem

Alice Chang, engineering manager in the advanced technologies group, said, “We believe that being able to articulate your tastes is the key to building a much richer and deeper understanding of yourself.”

“We saw an opportunity to combine LLMs with the power of the Pinterest taste graph and visual search to generate these personalized insights,” Chang added.

The model’s potential to manipulate and enhance existing images will open up new possibilities for users and brands alike.

Retailers could use Canvas to show their products in various settings, while users could explore different ways to style their homes or wardrobes.

Pinterest’s approach to balancing innovation and trust

During the demonstration, Pinterest executives emphasized their commitment to responsible AI development through the company’s STEAM framework—Simple, Tailored, Extensible, Accountable, and Measurable—which guided Canvas’s development.

“We wanted everything from the ground up to have safety built in by design so that what we built was accountable,” Suarez explained. “So with Gen AI, there is a new set of risks and challenges, and when it comes to data security and user privacy, it’s really important that we’re catching and testing for those things early and process.”

This focus on safety and trust sets Pinterest’s approach apart in the rapidly evolving generative AI landscape.