Reddit and Google have reached a deal that allows Google to utilize posts from Reddit for training its artificial intelligence models and to enhance its services, including Google Search. The deal, valued at about $60 million, will also grant Reddit access to Google AI models for improving its internal site search and other features.
Reddit, a San Francisco-based company, announced its plans for an initial public offering and reported a net income of $18.5 million in the October-December quarter on revenue of $249.8 million. The company aims to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol RDDT.
This deal marks a significant step for Reddit, which relies on volunteer moderators to manage its wide range of topic-based discussions. The agreement with Google does not indicate any data-driven changes to how Reddit operates. Reddit does not use algorithmic processes to predict user interests, unlike other social media platforms.
The agreement also requires Google to comply with Reddit’s user terms and privacy policy. For example, when Reddit users delete their posts or other content, the site deletes it everywhere, with no remnants lingering in unexpected locations. Reddit partners such as Google are required to do the same to respect the choices that users make on Reddit.
This data-sharing arrangement is crucial for Google, as it seeks access to human-written material to train its AI models and improve their understanding of the world. Google praised Reddit, calling it a repository for authentic, human conversations and experiences and emphasizing its aim to make it easier for people to benefit from that useful information.
Google downplayed its interest in using Reddit data to train its AI systems, emphasizing instead how it will make it easier for users to access Reddit information through Google products. It described this process as more content-forward displays of Reddit information to benefit both Google’s tools and to make it easier for people to participate on Reddit.
