Pinterest to lay off 15% of workforce, doubles down on AI

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Synopsis

Pinterest is cutting nearly 15% of its staff—around 400 jobs—as it reorganizes to focus on AI and revenue efficiency.

Article

Pinterest is laying off approximately 400 employees—nearly 15% of its workforce—as the company restructures to align more closely with its artificial intelligence and monetization priorities. The announcement was made internally on Wednesday and follows a broader pattern of tech firms streamlining operations amid economic pressure and strategic pivots toward AI.

In a memo to staff, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready said the decision was necessary to “realign teams to our company strategy and key priorities,” particularly in areas related to automation, AI-driven content discovery, and advertising innovation. While no specific departments were cited, the layoffs are expected to affect roles across functions.

This marks Pinterest’s largest workforce reduction since 2023 and highlights its deepening bet on AI to personalize content feeds, optimize ad delivery, and build better creator tools. Ready stated that a more agile structure would help the company move faster and deliver more measurable value to users and advertisers alike.

Pinterest has already made several recent AI-related moves—including enhanced visual search, shoppable recommendations, and investments in generative AI experiences. The company reported 482 million global monthly active users in its last earnings update and continues to push toward deeper engagement and improved ad performance.

A Pinterest spokesperson confirmed that affected employees will be provided severance packages and transition support.

As tech companies compete for AI dominance, Pinterest’s layoffs follow similar moves at Google, Amazon, and Meta, all of whom have restructured teams to accelerate development in machine learning, search, and user experience personalization. Analysts suggest Pinterest’s success in this pivot will depend on balancing innovation with user trust and advertiser ROI.