Reddit is rolling out the test phase for Reddit Answers, which the company is billing as “a new way to get the information, recommendations, discussions, and hot takes people are looking for – on any topic – from real conversations and communities across all of Reddit.” This new initiative is “in line with our mission to empower communities and provide human perspectives to everyone.” It’s part of a larger strategy to make itself more appealing to investors.
Similar to other AI search products, users will be able to find information by asking questions using a “conversational interface.” Once a user performs a query, “curated summaries of relevant conversations and details across Reddit will appear, including links to related communities and posts.” The link provided appears to serve as an opportunity for users to visit the original thread, which should help with gaining more context.
This seems to be another way for the company to monetize the wealth of information that it has built up from its communities over the years. Earlier this year Reddit signed a deal with OpenAI to access to its data to improve ChatGPT. Additionally, it came to a similar agreement with Google for access to train its AI solutions. Meanwhile, it went out of it way to block Microsoft, Anthropic, and Perplexity because those companies had yet to pay up. So, it’s likely that Reddit Answers will come at a premium whenever it officially launches.
During this trial phase, it will only be available to limited number of users who are located in the United States, and will only be available in English. However, the company does plan to make the new feature available in more locations and languages in the future. Although it hasn’t provided any timetable on when it will officially launch.