Like nearly every major tech company right now, Reddit is going all out on AI, and its next big bet is turning itself into a comprehensive search engine.
Google reveals Reddit answer powered by Gemini AI
This is Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. According to TechCrunch, Huffman told investors on the company’s latest earnings call: “Reddit is one of the few platforms located in a real search destination. We offer something special – a wide range of conversations and knowledge that you can’t find anywhere else.”
He is right. Over the years, Internet users have added “reddit” to the end of their Google searches to filter past SEO sludge and find real human answers. This habit became so common that Google ended up baking Reddit content directly into its search results.
But Reddit doesn’t want to be overwhelmed by Google’s AI search push – it wants to be the answer. Like Meta, OpenAI, and Microsoft, the company focuses on the “its own” AI-driven search experience. According to Google, the work revolves around the search capabilities of the website and Reddit Answers, an AI aid tool powered by Gemini AI.
Mixable light speed
Reddit Answers now serve 6 million users and are being tested in more than a dozen countries, and its capabilities are very similar to Chatgpt, responding deeply to conversations from the platform’s extensive discussion archives, and responding deeply to conversations that are queried by extracting conversations from the platform’s extensive discussion archives. Instead of simply returning a link or post, it aims to synthesize answers in a more natural AI-driven format.
The company plans to combine Reddit answers with its core search features and redesign the app so that the search bar is the center stage. According to Hoffman, global expansion is on the way.
“We are unifying these [Reddit Search and Reddit Answers] “Going into a single search experience, we will bring focus and center in the app,” Hoffman said during the call.
This is part of Reddit’s broader solidification of its user base and keeping people on the platform, while also earning solid profits. In the second quarter, the company reported a 78% higher revenue rate, an increase of $500 million.
