Pinterest shows “AI modified” when the IPTC metadata indicates AI, its own classifiers detect AI, or the owner has indicated AI use.
On regular Pins the label appears after a tap, on promoted Pins behind the ellipsis menu. If an image needs a label under Article 50 of the AI Act, put it into the image yourself.
What Pinterest requires
According to Pinterest Help:
- Pinterest checks a Pin's metadata against the IPTC standard and uses classifiers that detect AI even without obvious markers. Some Pins carry the label because the owner indicated AI use.
- For Pins that are not promoted, “AI modified” appears in close-up at the bottom left after tapping the Pin.
- For ads, the notice is behind the ellipsis menu. It can say that the Pin was modified with AI or includes an AI-generated person.
- To appeal a label, contact Pinterest support.
Without metadata, Pinterest says it cannot always tell whether a Pin was made with AI.
How this relates to your Article 50 duty
Deep fakes that you generate or manipulate with AI in your business, or have a contractor create to your instructions, must be disclosed (Article 50(4) AI Act, guidelines paras. 12 and 14). This applies in your own store and on every platform.
A label that only appears after a tap or behind a menu is not visible without interaction. A label under Article 50 therefore belongs visibly in the image.
The Commission lists Pinterest as a very large online platform. There, deployers may rely on the platform's labelling tools under para. 126 of the guidelines if they allow a clear and distinguishable disclosure. How far this carries is not settled, especially for notices that appear only sometimes or only after a click.
Steps
- Check every AI image with the labelling check.
- Write the IPTC field into the file, for example with Write AI metadata. Pinterest reads it.
- Indicate AI use when uploading, where Pinterest offers it.
- If the image needs a label, upload a copy with the label burned in, made with Label an AI image.
Not legal advice. The current wording of the platform rules is what counts. A label does not make a misleading image lawful.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my real photo show “AI modified”?
Besides metadata, Pinterest uses classifiers, which can be wrong. Contact Pinterest support, and do not remove metadata to avoid the label.
Is the Pinterest label enough for Article 50?
Not reliably. A notice that only appears after a tap is no safe basis for relying on it under para. 126 of the guidelines.
Which IPTC value does an AI image need?
For images created entirely with generative AI, trainedAlgorithmicMedia; for photos edited with AI, compositeWithTrainedAlgorithmicMedia. More under AI metadata.
Sources
Para. refers to the paragraph number in the European Commission's guidelines on Article 50, C(2026) 5054.
- Pinterest Help: Gen AI labelsPinterest · Platform · 11 Oct 2026
- IPTC NewsCodes: Digital Source TypeIPTC · Standard · 23 Oct 2024
- European Commission: list of designated very large online platforms and search enginesEuropäische Kommission · Commission · 7 Sept 2026
- Commission Guidelines on the transparency obligations under Article 50 AI Act, C(2026) 5054 finalEuropäische Kommission · Commission · 20 Jul 2026
