Prediction: OpenAI will buy Pinterest?
Yes, that’s quite a prediction—coming from The Information’s retail and ecommerce reporter, Ann Gehan. In her forecast, she says that “OpenAI will make its biggest acquisition yet when it buys Pinterest in a bold move to beef up its nascent online shopping and ads businesses.”
So, basically: Pinterest buys TVScientific, then TVScientific—if Pinterest is acquired—ends up as part of OpenAI? What a glow-up. Geez. Of course, keep in mind this is just a prediction. Here’s the rest of Gehan’s thinking on why it makes sense for OpenAI:
“OpenAI’s ChatGPT has gobbled up user time and attention, often at the expense of other consumer apps like Pinterest. While Pinterest has tried to go on the defense by adding AI features like conversational search, OpenAI would be most interested in the bones of Pinterest’s business, like its trove of image data and its existing advertising business, as well as relationships with merchants. Pinterest’s digital scrapbooking features could also complement OpenAI’s image- and video-generation tools and help it fend off competition from other AI heavyweights like Google, which launched a Pinterest-like feature in 2025.”
Why This Matters:
OpenAI is rumored, of course, to be launching an ads business in 2026. It’s been quite the evolution—from “advertising sucks,” to “advertising, if done right, might be OK,” to acquiring Pinterest to “beef up” its ads business. But hey, things move quickly in AI and adtech, so why not?
Speaking of why not, the market seems to like the idea. Pinterest shares shot up nearly 2.6% on the day.
Experts React:
The deal would also make a lot of sense for Pinterest, adds Gehan. “Cashing out now would make sense,” she says. Here’s the full context:
“The company’s stock is trading around $25, roughly the same as in early 2023, giving it a market cap of roughly $17.5 billion. Pinterest cofounders Ben Silbermann and Paul Sciarra control roughly two-thirds of the company’s voting shares, and Silbermann, who left the CEO role in mid-2022, is no longer involved in Pinterest’s day-to-day management.”
Our Take:
Would a Pinterest deal that includes TVScientific also mean ChatGPT gets into the CTV attribution game? That would be something. From no ads business, to some ads business, to a TV-related ads business.
