Reddit targets Google with human-focused search strategy

Reddit is positioning itself as a search engine competitor to Google, with CEO Steve Huffman announcing plans to make the platform a “go-to search engine” that leverages human-generated content over AI responses. The move capitalizes on Reddit’s unique position as a destination for authentic human insights, with 60 million daily users already turning to the platform for answers and Google paying $60 million annually to license Reddit’s content for AI training.

What you should know: Reddit is actively testing and expanding Reddit Answers, an AI-powered feature that curates summaries exclusively from Reddit threads rather than generating new content.

• Reddit Answers has grown from 1 million to 6 million users in just one quarter, while the platform’s core search product now serves 70 million weekly users.
• The feature works like an AI chatbot but pulls information only from existing Reddit discussions, providing summaries and links to relevant threads.
• Reddit plans to expand Answers globally and integrate it more deeply into the core search experience.

The big picture: Reddit’s search ambitions directly challenge Google’s AI-heavy approach by emphasizing human authenticity over artificial intelligence.

• While Google increasingly relies on AI Overviews and AI Mode for search results, Reddit is betting that users prefer human perspectives on complex questions.
• The platform benefits from users’ existing behavior of adding “Reddit” to their Google searches to find genuine human responses.

Why this matters: Reddit occupies a unique position in the search landscape by offering conversations and knowledge that can’t be found elsewhere, according to Huffman.

• A survey across the US, UK, Australia, and Canada found that around 80% of users “believe some questions can only be answered by humans, as opposed to AI-generated summaries.”
• “Reddit is one of the few platforms positioned to become a true search destination,” Huffman noted in his shareholder letter.

What’s next: The company plans to unify traditional search capabilities with AI-powered Answers while launching marketing initiatives to increase global awareness.

• Currently, Reddit Answers is tucked away in a side panel, but the company aims to make search “a central feature across Reddit.”
• Reddit is “concentrating resources on improving the core product, making Reddit a go-to search engine, and expanding internationally,” according to Huffman’s shareholder communication.