Pinterest CEO Bill Ready Compares Site to AI Chatbot ChatGPT After Poor Q4 Earnings
Following a disappointing fourth-quarter earnings report, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready attempted to draw a favorable comparison between the digital pinboarding site and the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. Ready highlighted Pinterest’s potential as a unique search destination by asserting that the site sees larger search volume than ChatGPT. According to third-party data, Pinterest registers 80 billion searches and generates 1.7 billion monthly clicks, surpassing ChatGPT’s 75 billion searches per month.
Despite Ready’s efforts to showcase Pinterest’s search capabilities, the company fell short of expectations in the fourth quarter. Revenue and earnings per share missed projections, with $1.32 billion in revenue versus an expected $1.33 billion, and earnings per share of 67 cents compared to the projected 69 cents. Additionally, Pinterest forecasted lower sales for the first quarter of 2026, expecting revenue between $951 million to $971 million, below the expected $980 million.
The company attributed its underperformance to larger advertisers reducing spending, particularly in Europe, and challenges stemming from a new furniture tariff introduced in October. Pinterest noted that these trends could worsen in the upcoming quarter. Interestingly, despite the revenue miss, Pinterest reported a faster-than-expected growth in its user base, with monthly active users increasing by 12% year-over-year to 619 million.
Following the earnings report, Pinterest’s shares plummeted by 20% in after-hours trading, reflecting investor concerns about the company’s financial performance.
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Pinterest has long grappled with monetizing its platform effectively, as users primarily use the site for planning and inspiration rather than direct shopping. This challenge may become more significant in the AI era, especially as advertisers prioritize platforms where purchase intent is clearer, such as chatbot-driven product recommendations.
When questioned about Pinterest’s strategy amidst the rise of AI-powered shopping, Ready highlighted the platform’s visual search, discovery, and personalization features. He emphasized that these tools would guide users to relevant products without the need for manual inputs. Ready also mentioned Pinterest’s collaboration with Amazon to streamline the checkout process, noting that while customers may not be ready for AI-driven purchases yet, the company is prepared for that transition.
âSimplifying the commercial journey will be one of the easiest challenges to overcome,â Ready stated confidently.
