Considering Reddit’s partnership with Google, this is an interesting addition for the platform.
Today, Reddit has launched “Reddit Answers” which is effectively the same as Google’s AI overviews, but in Reddit form.
As you can see from this (extended) screenshot, Reddit Answers will enable users to ask questions and get AI generated replies, with info sourced from relevant subreddits.
As explained by Reddit:
“With Reddit Answers, redditors can ask questions and receive answers using a new, AI-powered conversational interface. Once a question is asked, curated summaries of relevant conversations and details across Reddit will appear, including links to related communities and posts. Redditors can easily read relevant snippets and answers inline from real redditors, jump into the full conversations, and go deeper in their search with their own or suggested follow-up questions.”
Which, again, is pretty much exactly the same as Google’s AI Overviews, but confined to Reddit specifically. Which I can’t imagine Google is entirely happy about, and considering that Google has driven a huge surge in Reddit traffic of late, that seems like a risky gambit for Reddit to undertake.
But then again, Reddit Answers will only be relevant to Reddit users, of which there are currently fewer than 100 million. So it’s unlikely to dent Google’s Search dominance, while Google also benefits from Reddit’s human-generated product insights in its results, due to its data-sharing deal with the company.
So Google may not care too much either way. But it is an interesting addition, which could make Reddit more of a focus for discovery for more people.
Reddit has emerged as a valuable data source in the current gen AI race, because its forums see actual humans sharing a heap of practical, real world insights into their experiences, many of them with products. That’s grabbed the attention of AI developers who need human insight to enhance the value of their generative AI answers.
Reddit signed a deal with Google to share its data in February this year, which Google is now using in various ways, including within its Gemini chatbot.
But with this, Reddit’s looking to offer the same experience that other apps are with its data, within Reddit itself.
Which makes sense, but it will be interesting to see whether that impacts how other platforms look to deal with Reddit on its data offerings.
Reddit says that Reddit Answers is initially being rolled out to a limited number of users in the U.S., with support currently in English. It’ll look to expand to additional languages and locations in the future (you can sign-up to get updates for your region here).
