Reddit is testing a new way to read the site. The company now turns text posts into short videos. AI voices read the main post and a few top comments out loud. The text highlights on screen as it is spoken. Each video carries a small note that says “Real conversation voiced by AI.”
The feature is an experiment for now. Users can switch between reading and watching. A toggle at the top of a thread offers a “Read” view for text and a “Play” view for video. The choice is simple, and it sits at the top of the post.
One early example comes from an old r/boardgames thread. The post is eight years old. It asked for road trip games adults would enjoy. The question drew 101 replies. Reddit’s AI turned that question and its answers into a three-minute video.
The move fits a wider Reddit strategy. The company told shareholders it is “reimagining how users and communities connect, share, and consume content.” That plan centers on a modern video experience. CEO Steve Huffman hinted at the idea on an earnings call. He said Reddit was working on a way to let people listen to posts in the background.
The feature could help newer users. Forums can feel dense and hard to follow. A video with a voice reading replies may feel more familiar. It matches how people already scroll TikTok or Instagram Reels.
But the change brings risks. AI voices can mispronounce names and niche terms. They can also surface the wrong comment. A thread’s best answer is not always its first one. Automating that choice is not simple. Reddit has not said how it picks which comments to read.
Reddit is not new to AI. The company already uses language models to fight spam. It recently joined the S&P 500, and its revenue passed $2 billion a year. The video test is the latest step in that push.
The feature is still small. Not every post shows the option. Reddit has not shared a timeline for a wider launch. For now, it is a quiet test of how far AI can reshape one of the web’s oldest communities.
Source: The Verge
