Reddit is now experimenting with a new conversational AI feature called Reddit Answers, designed to provide users with curated summaries of relevant responses and discussions from across the platform. This move comes as AI companies increasingly utilize Reddit data for chatbot development, making Reddit's own AI-powered tool a direct competitor to platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Perplexity.
The Reddit Answers feature aims to enhance Reddit’s ability to offer quick and concise answers, positioning it to compete more effectively with Google, where many users often include “reddit” in their search queries. In response, Google has integrated this functionality into its search results.
Reddit Answers introduces a conversational browsing experience that allows users to get precise answers without having to sift through multiple threads and communities. When users ask a question, they receive concise and conversational summaries pulled from relevant posts and discussions. The feature provides snippets of information inline, allowing users to explore deeper if needed by following related conversations or posing follow-up questions.
For instance, if someone asks, “What are some tips for better sleep?” Reddit Answers will offer a summarized response with bullet points, similar to what AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity might provide. Users can then view all related threads that contributed to the answer, enabling them to explore further on their own.
In a blog post, Reddit highlighted that this feature aims to deliver “information, recommendations, discussions, and hot takes” sourced from real conversations and communities on Reddit. Since platforms like Google and OpenAI already draw from Reddit’s content for AI features, Reddit aims to maintain control of its own conversational tools to improve search and information retrieval on its platform.
“People know that Reddit has answers, advice, and perspectives on just about anything they’re looking for, and AI-powered search is part of our long-term vision to make Reddit faster, smarter, and more relevant,” Reddit said in its announcement.
Currently, Reddit Answers is available to a limited number of users in the U.S. and is only accessible in English. The company plans to expand the feature to additional countries and support more languages in the future.
In an email to TechCrunch, Reddit stated that the tool relies on both internally developed AI models and integrations with OpenAI and Google Cloud, signaling its continued push into AI-driven capabilities. This is not Reddit’s only AI-driven effort, as the platform is also exploring AI-powered search result pages, translations, and brand insights powered by artificial intelligence.
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