Pinterest has announced plans to lay off nearly 15% of its global workforce as it restructures operations to free up resources for artificial intelligence (AI) development.
In a regulatory filing released on Tuesday, the company said the job cuts are part of a broader effort to reduce office space costs and redirect spending toward AI-focused roles and products. Pinterest expects the layoffs to be completed by late September.
The image-sharing and discovery platform ended 2024 with 4,666 full-time employees, meaning the move could affect around 700 workers.
According to the filing, Pinterest is “reallocating resources to AI-focused roles and teams that drive AI adoption and execution,” while placing greater emphasis on building AI-powered products and capabilities. The company said it expects to incur pre-tax restructuring charges of between $35 million and $45 million as a result of the layoffs.
AI push reshapes Pinterest’s strategy
The decision reflects a wider trend across the global tech industry, where companies are cutting costs in traditional areas to fund aggressive investments in artificial intelligence. Pinterest has been steadily expanding its AI portfolio over the past year as it looks to improve user engagement and monetization.
Earlier this year, the company launched Pinterest Assistant, an AI-powered companion designed to help users with shopping inspiration, product discovery, and recommendations. It has also been testing AI-driven personalised boards, which automatically curate content based on users’ interests and behaviour.
Speaking during the company’s most recent earnings call, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready highlighted the role of open-source AI models in helping the platform innovate while keeping infrastructure and development costs under control.
Balancing growth and cost pressures
Like many mid-sized tech firms, Pinterest is under pressure to balance profitability with the rising cost of competing in an AI-driven market. While the company has not signaled a slowdown in product development, the restructuring suggests a sharper focus on fewer, high-impact initiatives.
For employees and industry watchers, the move underscores how AI is reshaping workforce priorities across the tech sector, with resources increasingly shifting away from traditional roles toward engineering, data, and AI-specialized teams.
Pinterest joins a growing list of global technology companies that have announced layoffs in 2025 as they reposition for an AI-first future, signaling that the race to build smarter digital platforms is also redefining how companies structure their organizations.
