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Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has shared that the platform may soon expand into being its own search engine. He made this clear during Reddit’s second-quarter earnings call. Huffman explained that the company is now focusing on its most urgent goals. One of those goals is turning Reddit into a main destination for search. He said this step is important because more people today are looking for answers written by real humans. AI-generated content is growing fast on the internet. But many users now say they trust human opinions and real discussions more.
As part of this plan, Reddit is expanding a tool called Reddit Answers. This feature uses AI but relies on real user comments to find useful replies to search questions. Reddit Answers is already being rolled out to more regions worldwide. Huffman said the company will be investing more resources into making this tool a key part of Reddit’s overall experience. The company recently marked its 20th anniversary, and this move is part of its long-term vision for growth.
Where does Reddit stand in comparison with Google?
Right now, Reddit gets a lot of traffic from search engines, especially Google. According to the earnings report, Reddit sees over 416 million unique users each week. A large portion of that comes from people clicking Reddit links in Google search results. If Reddit creates its own search engine, that might reduce its dependency on Google. But it could also mean losing some of the visitors who currently find Reddit through those search results.
Google has also changed how it shows information. With features like AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google now displays answers directly instead of linking users to websites. This change could make it harder for platforms like Reddit to receive traffic from search. Some users have also said these new AI summaries on Google are not always reliable. This has made people look for platforms where human responses are still easy to find.
Reddit seems to be preparing for a future where people want fewer AI-written summaries and more honest opinions and discussions. Building its own search engine could help Reddit stand out. It may give people a new place to find answers that feel personal, real, and human.
The plan is still in early stages. There is no confirmed launch date or full details about how Reddit’s search engine would work. But Huffman’s statement shows that Reddit is serious about shaping the future of online search in a way that puts people first.