Technology

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Reddit has officially launched its AI-powered feature, Reddit Answers, in India, expanding its reach beyond initial trials in the United States. This new tool aims to enhance the user experience by providing curated summaries of relevant comments and posts from the platform, allowing users to obtain information, recommendations, and discussions on specific topics through insights and conversations from Reddit communities. 

Reddit Answers functions similarly to other AI search tools developed by tech companies. It responds to users' questions with summaries of conversations from across the social media platform and provides links to relevant communities and posts. In essence, the feature acts as an AI chatbot capable of making recommendations and suggesting follow-up questions.

Unlike other AI-powered chat and search tools, Reddit Answers sources its information solely from posts found on Reddit, not from across the web. For example, if a user asks Reddit Answers how to repair a Mac, the AI tool will respond with a bullet-point list of tips, summaries, and quotes from relevant Reddit posts. Users can then tap on links in the answers to go directly to the related Reddit posts.

The feature is designed to keep users on the platform, rather than having them search for threads on external search engines. This approach differentiates Reddit Answers from other AI-based chatbots. For instance, when a user asks about the latest Bollywood gossip, the platform's conversational tool will respond with a bullet-point list of the latest updates from Bollywood. It will also recommend relevant subreddits and posts on the same topic. 

Reddit Answers is built on Reddit's existing search architecture and uses AI models from OpenAI and Google Cloud. The company has data-licensing agreements with both OpenAI and Google, allowing them to pay Reddit for using its data to train their AI models.

Currently, Reddit Answers is available in English for iOS and desktop users in India. The company plans to expand the feature to Android users and support additional languages in the future. This expansion is part of Reddit's broader strategy to enhance its search capabilities and provide a more personalized experience for users. 

The introduction of Reddit Answers in India marks a significant step in the platform's efforts to enhance user engagement and provide more personalized information. By leveraging AI technology, Reddit aims to improve the search experience and offer users a more efficient way to access relevant content within the community.