Pinterest is taking a step further in AI inclusivity by releasing a new hair pattern search feature for Black, Brown, and Latinx Pinners.
With millions of people turning to its platform for hair and beauty tips and ideas, Pinterest is announcing the introduction of a new hair pattern search – a first-of-its-kind technology.
A computer vision-powered object detection system empowers users, and Black, Brown, and Latinx Pinners in particular to search for hair inspiration across specific hair types, representative of plural ethnicities.
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The new feature categorizes hair patterns in six categories: protective, coily, curly, wavy, straight, and shaved/bald, allowing for broader searches, such as “summer hairstyles”, “glam hair”, or “short hair” before offering the user to specify their search and narrow results.
Last month alone, over 120 million searches were related to hair, and top hair searches are increasingly personalized to include specific terms such as “natural hair twists protective” (a search which is up 15x this summer, month on month) and “best haircuts for thick wavy hair” (up 13x).
The release of this new feature, in the coming weeks, comes after Pinterest launched skin tone range searches, another inclusive feature launched in 2018.
Pinterest’s Inclusive Product team – formed to bring cross-functional thinking to fairness in AI and product development – worked with Pinners and BIPOC creators like Editorial Hair Stylist and Global Artistic Director of Amika, Naeemah LaFond to help build and design the product.
According to LaFond, “this new tool will mark a much-needed milestone for racial equity in the world of coding.”
The all-new hair pattern search feature is available in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – on desktop, iOS, and Android.
It will also roll out to international markets over the coming months.