OpenAI's rumored acquisition plans for Pinterest provoke fury among some users

Date:
Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:19:56 +0000

Description:
A speculative report suggesting OpenAI might acquire Pinterest ignited a consumer backlash among Pinterest users.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Speculat ion that OpenAI could buy Pinterest sparked an intense backlash from some Pinterest users They are concerned AI would disrupt one of the internets last largely usercurated creative spaces The rumor, which originated as a prediction rather than a reported deal, nonetheless boosted Pinterest's stock price.

The idea that OpenAI might acquire Pinterest was born of a speculative predictions piece from The Information , but it was enough to fire up outrage among many Pinterest users and boost Pinterest's stock price even without any sort of official statement. Across Reddit and other corners of the internet, longtime Pinterest users didnt hesitate to voice their revulsion over the potential move.

The original prediction framed the acquisition as a logical extension of OpenAI's strategy. The company could exploit Pinterests rich image archive, existing advertising channels, and connections to stores to help build out
its own generative commerce ambitions.

OpenAIs image models and Sora video generation tools are already advancing quickly. Pairing them with Pinterest's consumer-facing curation engine and catalog of buyable inspiration might be a shortcut for its goals. That probably helped lead the stock uptick for Pinterest.

But Pinterest's users are concerned about more than logistics or stock
prices. They have questions about control and creativity in the wake of
OpenAI acquiring the platform they spend so much time on. A dislike of the idea of AI filling their digital scrapbooks suffused the reactions.

On Reddits r/Pinterest, the backlash was fast and emotional. But seriously this is genuinely depressing. I hate AI being shoved in to every corner of my life. wrote one user. "I know we JUST started the new year, but I need it to be April Fools so bad right now," wrote another.

Many voiced the opinion that Pinterest feels like the last social platform that still feels like it belongs to its users. People use it to collect
ideas, plan renovations, gather recipes, design weddings, map out fantasy bookshelves, and other speculative dreams.

Some promised to download their boards and walk away from the platform entirely if the purchase actually happened. Many didn't like the idea that their creative ideas, mood boards, or just half-formed plans could become training fodder for AI tools. Pinterest users AI opposition

While AI-generated images and summaries are baked into Google results, Amazon listings, Canva templates, and even weather apps, Pinterest's use of AI has been mostly experimental, involving visual search , personalized feeds, and a ChatGPT-style search tool. But the user experience still centers on manual curation. You pick what goes on your board.

Arguably, that digital behavior built around collecting and visual thinking may be exactly what OpenAI wants to tap into. That mismatch between intent
and perception is why the speculation feels so charged.

To be clear, theres no concrete deal underway. The Information s prediction was one of many forward-looking statements about 2026, not a report based on insider intel. Neither company has confirmed any interest. But even without real movement, the reaction shows that the mere possibility is enough to ignite a cultural flare.

If OpenAI were to acquire it, the brand would likely need to work overtime to reassure users that their boards wouldnt become raw material for machine learning pipelines. The intensity of the reaction suggests that the story of AIs consumer integration is far from settled. People are still deciding where they draw the line. And some may just go offline entirely rather than be forced into the AI space.

"I was a beta user of Pinterest in 2010. 3 years later when Google reader was taken down I went and pinned all of my saved blog posts. I've planned
parties, designed my living spaces, made wishlists and figured out my
personal style and in addition I've learned to be a better person and
parent," one Reddit user wrote . "I am so bummed by this, it's a massive
loss. More reason to go offline."

Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the
Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/openais-rumored-acquisition- plans-for-pinterest-provoke-fury-among-some-users


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)