Pinterest CEO Bill Ready claimed the platform processes more monthly searches than ChatGPT after reporting fourth-quarter results that missed analyst expectations on revenue and earnings per share.
Ready cited third-party data showing Pinterest handles 80 billion searches per month, exceeding ChatGPT’s 75 billion searches. He stated that Pinterest also generates 1.7 billion monthly clicks from those searches. Ready emphasized the commercial intent on the platform by noting that more than half of Pinterest’s searches are commercial in nature. In comparison, he estimated that approximately 2 percent of ChatGPT searches fall into this category. Ready declared, “That makes us one of the largest search destinations in the world. And importantly, more than half of those searches are commercial in nature, compared to, I think … approximately 2% [of ChatGPT searches].”
Pinterest recorded $1.32 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter, falling short of the $1.33 billion anticipated by analysts. Earnings per share came in at 67 cents, below the projected 69 cents. Looking ahead, the company guided for first-quarter 2026 sales between $951 million and $971 million, undercutting Wall Street’s $980 million consensus estimate.
The company attributed the revenue shortfall to reduced spending by larger advertisers, with particular weakness in Europe. An additional factor was a new furniture tariff introduced in October, which disrupted performance in the home category. Pinterest indicated that these pressures might intensify during the first quarter.
Monthly active users provided a bright spot, rising 12 percent year-over-year to 619 million, surpassing the forecast of 613 million. Despite this user growth, Pinterest shares fell 20 percent in after-hours trading following the earnings release.
Pinterest has faced ongoing challenges in monetizing its high platform engagement through advertising revenue. Users frequently visit the site to plan and dream about ideas rather than to complete purchases. This dynamic persists amid the rise of AI-driven platforms, where user queries for product recommendations signal stronger buying intent.
Addressing questions on adapting to AI-powered shopping trends, Ready highlighted Pinterest’s visual search capabilities, along with its discovery and personalization tools. These features direct users to relevant products directly upon app opening. Ready explained, “We’re helping them complete those commercial journeys without having to type in a single prompt.” He also pointed to the platform’s partnership with Amazon, which has streamlined the checkout process and improved conversion rates.
Ready acknowledged that customers currently show reluctance to authorize AI systems to execute purchases on their behalf. He positioned Pinterest to capitalize on any future change in this behavior, asserting, “That’ll actually be one of the easiest parts of the commercial journey to solve.”
