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While Reddit is well-known for its angry and unfiltered opinions, its content is undeniably some of the most "human" and authentic to be found online.
For years, people on the internet have added "reddit" to the end of their Google searches to filter past SEO sludge in search for real human answers. In fact, so many users do this that Google even integrated Reddit content directly into its search results.
But, Reddit doesn't want to join Google's AI search push — it wants to be your go-to search engine, TechCrunch reported.
In the company’s Q2 2025 Shareholder Letter, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman suggests that Reddit is working on its own search engine, leaning on the platform’s “human voices”. He cites survey results that found a vast majority of people "believe some questions can only be answered by humans, as opposed to AI-generated summaries.”
The company is focusing on "its own AI-driven search experience" by combining the website's search function with Reddit Answers, an AI-assisted tool powered by Gemini AI.
Reddit Answers, which rolled out last year, works much like ChatGPT, generating conversational, informative responses pulled from the platform's treasure trove of organic discussions. It breaks down the search query into a couple of categories, each populated with links leading to a specific Reddit discussion. It will even suggest subreddit groups you can join for further advice.
"We’re unifying [Reddit Search and Reddit Answers] into a single search experience, and we’re gonna bring that front and center in the app. So, whether you’re a new user opening the app for the first time or a returning user opening the app, that search box will be present immediately," Huffman said.
According to Huffman, global expansion is on the way. AI summaries which aims to provide quick answers to search queries, PDFs, or images, hasn't had everyone on board, as some users are wary of receiving generic, "AI-generated" content.
Reddit, however, may be winning over a different audience that's approaching generated responses with a human lens. This approach could make Reddit's summaries feel more authentic and nuanced than those generated by a purely machine-based AI.
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