In the rapidly evolving world of AI-powered commerce, one phrase has recently caught the industry’s attention — “agentic shopping.” The concept promises a future where AI agents can independently purchase items for you without human intervention. However, according to Pinterest CEO Bill Ready, that future is still a long way off.
The Current State of AI Shopping
During Pinterest’s Q2 2025 earnings call, Ready addressed the hype around AI in e-commerce, calling this a “Cambrian moment” for AI. While AI is already transforming discovery and personalization, he emphasized that fully autonomous, agent-led shopping — where an AI “just goes and buys things for you” — is far from mainstream. In his view, this kind of automation may only work in very specific, utilitarian scenarios for the foreseeable future.
Pinterest’s Focus: AI-Enabled Shopping Assistance
Instead of chasing the distant dream of agentic shopping, Pinterest is focusing on becoming a highly capable AI-enabled shopping assistant. The platform now proactively offers product recommendations tailored to a user’s personal taste and style — much like having your own personal shopper.
Key features include:
- Advanced visual and conversational search powered by proprietary generative retrieval models, improving search fulfillment rates by 230 basis points.
- Multimodal AI capabilities, combining text and images for richer discovery experiences.
- Improved ad targeting through AI-driven insights.
The Challenges Along the Way
Even as Pinterest invests in AI, challenges remain:
- Content moderation — AI-generated content glitches have occasionally raised user concerns. Pinterest has responded with better filtering and labeling tools.
- Financial balancing — In Q2 2025, Pinterest reported $998 million in revenue, exceeding expectations, but posted adjusted earnings per share of 33¢, slightly below analyst forecasts.
- Talent acquisition — Attracting and retaining top AI talent remains competitive. Ready says the company’s commitment to responsible AI is central to building trust and appealing to the best minds.
Why Agentic Shopping Is Still Far Away
The road to fully autonomous shopping involves overcoming multiple hurdles — from building consumer trust, to ensuring AI reliability, to navigating ethical and regulatory landscapes. Consumers may be willing to let AI suggest products, but handing over complete purchasing control is another leap entirely.
The Bottom Line
While the vision of a true “AI shopping agent” may be years away, Pinterest is already carving out its role as a smart, personalized shopping companion. By investing in responsible AI, enhancing personalization, and improving discovery tools, the company is positioning itself not for a far-off dream, but for practical, near-term gains that improve how people shop today.
Sources: Techcrunch
