Reddit has begun rolling out a new artificial intelligence feature to help users find answers within Reddit conversations and posts. The company announced this development on Tuesday.
This feature, called Reddit Answers, is currently being tested with a small group of users in the U.S. as part of an initial trial phase before a broader release. Similar to other AI search products, Reddit Answers generates well-formatted responses to user queries and provides links to its sources. The feature can be accessed via a new button on Reddit’s homepage.
Reddit has long been a hub for engaging articles, humorous memes, and insightful discussions across diverse topics. Known for offering answers, advice, and unique perspectives, Reddit aims to enhance its search experience by making it faster, smarter, and more relevant through AI-powered tools. The introduction of Reddit Answers is part of this long-term vision.
Reddit first revealed its plans to develop an AI summary feature back in August, so this launch aligns with its earlier announcements. In a blog post, the company explained that Reddit Answers allows users to access “information, recommendations, discussions, and hot takes” directly from “real conversations and communities across Reddit.”
Functioning as an AI chatbot, Reddit Answers offers recommendations, suggests follow-up questions, and sources answers from relevant Reddit posts. Users can click on the links provided in responses to navigate directly to the original discussions. Unlike general-purpose tools like Google Gemini or ChatGPT, Reddit Answers is tailored specifically for Reddit users, drawing exclusively from the platform’s content.
The company has been testing Reddit Answers for six months, positioning it as a significant step in improving how users search on the platform. With this feature, Reddit reduces its reliance on external search engines like Google, as it now directly sources and delivers information from its platform. This approach also allows users to bypass traditional search engines or external AI tools to find relevant communities and discussions.
In recent months, Reddit has restricted major search engines and AI chatbots from accessing its posts and comments unless they pay a licensing fee. Reddit Answers builds upon the platform’s existing search architecture and leverages AI models from OpenAI and Google Cloud. The company’s data licensing agreements with these firms allow Reddit to be compensated for using its data to train AI models.
The integration of AI into social media platforms is becoming increasingly common, and Reddit’s adoption of this technology underscores its commitment to staying competitive in the digital space.
