Reddit Launches Test of AI-Powered Search Tool

Reddit has launched a test of an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered conversational interface designed to answer questions by providing information and recommendations based on conversations and communities across its social media platform.

When asked a question, the new Reddit Answers will provide curated summaries of relevant conversations and details, links to related communities and posts, and the ability to ask follow-up questions so that users can go deeper in their search, Reddit said in a Monday (Dec. 9) blog post.

The company is rolling out Reddit Answers to a limited number of users in the United States, in English, according to the post. It plans to add more locations and languages in the future.

“People know that Reddit has answers, advice and perspectives on almost anything they’re looking for, and AI-powered search is part of our longer-term vision to improve the search experience on Reddit — making it faster, smarter and more relevant,” the post said.

AI-powered search is changing how people search the web and shop online, making the experience more personalized and intuitive, PYMNTS reported in May. By leveraging natural language processing, machine learning and user data, AI search tools can deeply understand complex queries and deliver tailored results and recommendations.

Reddit said in May that it formed a partnership with OpenAI that includes Reddit building on OpenAI’s platform of AI models to bring new AI-powered features to Reddit users and moderators.

OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap said at the time: “We are thrilled to partner with Reddit to enhance ChatGPT with uniquely timely and relevant information, and to explore the possibilities to enrich the Reddit experience with AI-powered features.”

Reddit also expanded its collaboration with Google in February to include a new Cloud partnership that enables Reddit to use Vertex AI to integrate new AI-powered capabilities.

“Reddit intends to use Vertex AI to enhance search and other capabilities on the Reddit platform,” according to Google’s Feb. 22 blog post.

Reddit said in August that it also plans to incorporate AI-driven tools and models to enhance its ad offerings.

“We are adding AI foundational models to our ad stack to help optimize creative,” Reddit Chief Operating Officer Jen Wong said Aug. 6 during the company’s quarterly earnings call.