Reddit expands its borders: Now users will be able to use the new Reddit Answers function, which will allow them to find answers to all the doubts and questions they normally ask Google. The operation is similar to that of any other search engine: just enter a text instruction in the corresponding bar to obtain a list of results with the support of AI, by summaries of posts and threads posted by Reddit users. By clicking on the result, users will be directed to the conversation in question, so they can get a comprehensive answer to their question.
Reddit users will no longer need Google
In essence, the social network tries to do the same as Google and Bing, with the difference that the search functionality is powered exclusively by content published on Reddit; a detail that could be a huge limitation, taking into account that the content published in forums is known for its low quality. Although, apparently, the platform thought of everything. The system of AI will be in charge of offering “balanced answers”, which will reveal different points of view in relation to the question posed by users. And, above all, for a range of topics that are not too challenging.
“It’s clear that searching for things on Reddit is one of the main ways people use the internet. It’s our job to make sure that if you want to search for something on the platform in whatever format, we’re the best at doing it,” Serkan said. Piantino, vice president of products at Reddit told Bloomberg. Likewise, Piantino told the American channel CNBC that Reddit has tested the chatbot for six months and that users will be able to ask about any topic, except those that are considered unsafe or that violate content rules.
For now The AI-assisted Reddit Answers feature is only available to select users in the US, although the platform has already made clear its willingness to expand it to other languages and countries. And this only means one thing: the social network will have to pay extreme attention to the quality of the content published by users, because artificial intelligence will draw on all that information to answer their questions.
Article originally published in WIRED Italy, adapted by Alondra Flores.
#Reddit #challenges #Google #search #feature
