On Monday, Reddit, the popular pseudo-anonymous social platform, announced the launch of its new AI tool, ‘Reddit Answers’. This prompt-based search engine and chatbot generates responses to user queries by drawing from various threads and conversations on the platform. The AI responds in a familiar manner, similar to ChatGPT and Perplexity, and provides links to the original source. According to Reddit, this feature is part of their long-term vision to improve the search experience on the platform and make it faster, smarter, and more relevant.
Currently, the feature is only available in English and is being rolled out to a limited number of users in the United States. This move comes after Reddit’s announcement at the beginning of 2021 that it plans to generate over $200 million from data licensing contracts in the next three years. The company has also signed a $60 million deal with Google to license its AI content. However, this has raised concerns about the sharing of user data with external organizations for AI training purposes. In response, Reddit’s CEO, Steve Huffman, defended the company’s actions, stating that their vast archive of real, timely, and relevant human conversations is an invaluable dataset for various purposes, including AI training and research.
In May, Reddit announced a partnership with OpenAI to bring enhanced Reddit content to ChatGPT and other products, helping users discover and engage with Reddit communities. OpenAI will also have access to Reddit’s API for real-time information, and the two companies have also entered into an advertising partnership. However, Reddit has not disclosed the model powering their new AI feature.
While Reddit’s IPO earlier this year made headlines, the company has been experimenting with AI for some time now. Reddit Answers is their first tangible offering to users in a while. However, some users are questioning the need for such a feature on the platform, expressing concerns that AI might interfere with the unfiltered and authentic content that attracted them to Reddit in the first place. Additionally, with the platform increasing the cost of its API, several third-party apps have shut down. As one Reddit user put it, “I’m searching Reddit for human answers and experiences, not AI.” While Reddit’s CEO and others are excited about the potential of AI, the platform’s biggest threat remains its 500 million users, who fear that AI might ruin their experience on the platform.
