Reddit users will soon see AI-generated summaries at the top of search results.
Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman told investors during its earnings call on Tuesday that the company plans to test AI-powered search result pages to “summarize and recommend content.” He noted this will help users “dive deeper” into content and discover new Reddit communities.
Reddit will use a combination of first-party and third-party technology to power the feature, Huffman explained. The company will begin the experiment later this year.
Those who have been following the company’s latest initiatives likely expected something like an AI-powered search feature to be on Reddit’s radar. In May, Reddit announced its partnership with OpenAI, enabling the company to leverage OpenAI’s large language models and build AI-powered features for Redditors and mods. The deal also gives OpenAI permission to use the social network’s data. Reddit signed a similar agreement with Google earlier this year.
AI was a common topic in today’s call. Huffman also touted the success of Reddit’s AI-powered language translation feature, reporting that France is one of its “fastest growing countries,” he claimed. The company is also beginning to expand the translation feature to German, Spanish and Portuguese.
Today marked the second time Reddit reported its quarterly earnings since becoming a public company. For the second quarter, the company reported 342.3 million weekly active users, a 57% jump from the year prior. Revenue increased to $281.2 million, higher than Wall Street estimates of $253.8 million.
Updated 8/6/24 at 8:10 pm ET to correct the speaker of the quote as being Reddit’s CEO Steve Huffman, not Drew Vollero (CFO).