Reddit Expands AI-Powered Search to 5 New Languages, Boosting Global Discovery

Reddit Expands AI-Powered Search to Five New Languages Reddit announced Thursday that it is expanding its AI-powered search experience to five new languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. With this expansion, the feature is now available in countries like Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico, and Italy. According to Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, users who have set one of these languages as their default, instead of English, can now chat with the AI in a question-and-answer format. The feature uses a Google AI model to power its functionality. This expansion marks a significant step forward for Reddit's AI-powered search experience, which was first debuted last year. The AI-powered search experience is part of Reddit Answers, which lives alongside the platform's traditional search. Huffman noted during the company's quarterly earnings call in August that Reddit search has more than 70 million weekly users, while Reddit Answers is used by over 6 million people. Huffman also discussed plans to unify the search experience, highlighting the growing importance of AI-powered search and chat interfaces. QA-style search and chat interfaces have been gaining popularity since ChatGPT integrated web search. Incumbent search engines like Google and Brave have introduced similar features to improve user engagement and retention. The expansion of Reddit's AI-powered search experience has significant implications for society, particularly in countries where language barriers can hinder access to information. By providing a more inclusive search experience, Reddit is taking steps towards bridging this gap. Reddit's decision to expand its AI-powered search experience comes as the tech industry continues to grapple with the role of AI in search and chat interfaces. Newer startups like Perplexity have also gained steam with similar features. The expansion of Reddit's AI-powered search experience marks a significant step forward for the platform, but it also raises questions about the future of search and chat interfaces. As AI technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how companies adapt and innovate in response. Reddit's AI-powered search experience is now available in five new languages, marking a significant expansion of its functionality. The feature uses a Google AI model to power its functionality and provides users with a more inclusive search experience. *Reporting by Techcrunch.*