AI-Powered Search Upgrade May Be Coming to Reddit

Remember when Reddit first dabbled with Artificial intelligence (AI) powered search last year? You probably got a taste of AI summarization, automated recommendations, and even AI-powered translation too. While these features hinted at what was possible, the experience still left much to be desired.

Now, Reddit is doubling down with a serious upgrade, aiming to make its AI search more useful. This iteration aims to integrate those capabilities directly into the search function. Instead of relying on Google searches with “Reddit” tacked onto the query, you can soon expect to start your research directly on Reddit.

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman confirmed on Reddit’s Q4 2024 earnings call that the platform is preparing to launch an enhanced search experience in 2025 to help users navigate Reddit conversations and answer "difficult questions" that traditional search engines often fumble with. 

Reddit plans to achieve this by integrating Reddit Answers – an AI-powered tool designed to curate and summarize relevant responses from Reddit’s discussion archives- into its search engine. Instead of returning a list of threads when you search within the app, Reddit Answers will synthesize responses, extracting the best answers from countless threads.

The timing of this upgrade is particularly interesting, given Reddit’s recent struggles with Google’s search algorithm changes. Late last year, a shift in Google’s ranking system led to a noticeable drop in search referrals for Reddit, affecting traffic and causing investor concerns. While Huffman insists this didn’t impact revenue, it did highlight Reddit’s reliance on external search engines to drive users to its platform.

This upgrade is also expected to boost engagement and advertising opportunities. With an improved search function, users will spend more time on the platform, increasing ad visibility and revenue. Reddit has already been expanding its advertising strategy, leveraging AI-powered tools to optimize ad performance, increase impressions, and attract more brands.

While other platforms like Google and OpenAI continue to refine their AI-driven search tools, Reddit is taking a unique approach by eaning into its community-driven discussions and leveraging the organic, human-generated content that has made it a go-to source for authentic opinions and knowledge.

If executed well, this could position Reddit as a serious contender in the AI-powered search space, not just a discussion forum with a search bar.