Every month, hundreds of millions of users flock to Pinterest looking for the latest styles.
One paged titled "the most ridiculous things" is filled with plenty of wacky ideas to inspire creatives - Crocs repurposed as flower pots. Cheeseburger-shaped eyeshadow. A gingerbread house made of vegetables.
But what would-be buyers may not know is the tech behind this isn't necessarily US-made. Pinterest is experimenting with Chinese AI models to hone its recommendation engine.
"We've effectively made Pinterest an AI-powered shopping assistant," the firm's boss Bill Ready told me.
Of course, the San Francisco-based tastemaker could use any number of American AI labs to power things behind-the-scenes.
