During Reddit’s Q2 2024 earnings call, CEO Steve Huffman revealed the company is exploring implementing AI-powered search results on its platform.

Though details remain limited, this feature could enhance content discovery.

Huffman stated during the call:

“Later this year, we will begin testing new search result pages powered by AI to summarize and recommend content.”

He suggested this could help users find information on products, shows, and games and discover new communities.

Reddit’s consideration of AI search aligns with broader industry trends, as many tech companies integrate AI capabilities into their products.

Financial Context

This announcement was made alongside Reddit’s Q2 2024 financial results.

The company reported 54% year-over-year revenue growth, reaching $281.2 million for the quarter.

User growth also increased, though specific figures were not provided in this initial report.

Potential Challenges

While AI-powered search could improve content discovery, its implementation may face hurdles.

These could include technical challenges, user adoption concerns, and questions about how AI-curated results might affect the visibility of certain communities or content types on the platform.

Reddit hasn’t provided a specific timeline for testing or rolling out this feature, nor has it shared details on how it would be developed or implemented.

Reddit Blocks Most Search Engines

Any change to Reddit’s on-site search is notable, as it’s one of the only ways to search the website.

Reddit’s latest robots.txt update has prevented most search engines from crawling its recent content.

The big exception? Google, thanks to a $60M deal for AI training data.

See: Reddit Limits Search Engine Access, Google Remains Exception

Key points from the above article:

• Only Google and Reddit’s on-site search can now reliably find fresh Reddit posts.
• Bing, DuckDuckGo, and others are left in the cold for new content.
• SEOs and marketers face new hurdles in tracking Reddit discussions.

This move fits the trend of platforms monetizing their content and protecting it from AI scrapers.

This could impact users in the following ways:

• Users must use Google or Reddit’s native search for recent posts.
• SEOs need new strategies for Reddit content monitoring.
• Google gains an edge in providing access to Reddit’s vast user-generated content.

It’s a sign of the times as platforms balance openness with monetization in the AI era.

Looking Ahead

As Reddit continues to grow, reporting a 54% year-over-year revenue increase in Q2 2024, this AI initiative could play a pivotal role in the platform’s future.

As the company moves forward with testing and potential implementation, users and industry observers alike will be watching closely to see how this AI-powered search transforms the Reddit experience.

Featured Image: T. Schneider/Shutterstock