Reddit Introduces AI Chatbot to Enhance Search on the Platform
Reddit Inc. has introduced a new AI-powered chatbot feature called Reddit Answers, aimed at enhancing the search experience for its users. The social media company is trying to keep user engagement alive by simplifying access to over 1 billion posts and discussions on its platform. Reddit Answers will assist users in finding information, providing recommendations, and uncovering related forum discussions.
This initiative is part of a broader investment aimed at improving Reddit's search capabilities to compete with traditional search engines and AI companies summarizing web content. Previously, users often turned to third-party search engines like Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) to find posts on the site, appending "Reddit" to their queries. In fact, "Reddit" was the sixth most searched term on Google in the U.S. this year.
To counter external AI tools that summarize its content without driving traffic back to the site, Reddit has begun limiting access to certain search engines' forums unless commercial agreements are made. Reddit has already allowed its posts to appear in search results and ChatGPT by entering into licensing agreements with Google and OpenAI, with reports suggesting these agreements are valued at $203 million over the next two to three years.
The new chatbot, powered by AI models from OpenAI and Google, is part of a growing trend among social networks that incorporate chatbots to maintain user engagement. For instance, Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) has integrated its Meta AI chatbot, which serves 600 million monthly users across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Elon Musk's X has introduced the Grok chatbot, and other companies like Snapchat are adopting similar AI features.
Reddit Answers is initially available to a select group of users in the U.S. on web and iOS platforms. The company plans to expand the chatbot's availability to more languages and locations in the future. This conversation-based tool is designed to provide users with quick and meticulously crafted summaries of relevant content, offering a more direct and efficient way to navigate the broad range of discussions on Reddit.