Reddit just turned 20 and instead of just looking back at what it built, the team is already talking about what’s next. In a recent interview with The Verge, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman and CTO Chris Slowe shared a few things about where Reddit is heading, especially when it comes to AI.
Human First
The main thing Reddit’s team kept saying is that the platform will stay human first. Not just some random statement to sound nice, they actually mean it. Reddit’s CTO Chris Slowe said trust is a key part of how Reddit works and they don’t want AI messing that up.
Even their new tool Reddit Answers doesn’t try to replace real conversations. It gives you a quick summary if you just want to skim, but it still links back to the original thread and comments. So the people behind the posts still matter.
It’s more like a shortcut to help you explore a thread, not something that cuts people out. They’re trying to make things faster and easier, but without changing what Reddit really is.
Brief and Detailed Answers
Chris Slowe said Reddit Answers gives both. It shows a quick summary for people who want the short version and links to the full thread for anyone who wants the details. He explained that the tool helps users explore posts faster without removing the original conversation. If you want speed, you get it. If you want the full scroll, that’s still right there.
Right now it’s in beta so it’s not everywhere yet but they’re testing it and slowly rolling it out.
Making Money with Data
Reddit is also working on the business side by monetising its data. They’ve signed deals with OpenAI and Google so they can use public Reddit content to train their AI models. But it’s not just anyone grabbing posts and using them. Reddit gives access through proper APIs and keeps it all controlled.
When Anthropic, the company behind another AI model called Claude, used Reddit data without permission, Reddit filed a lawsuit. So they’re serious about protecting what gets used and by who. Steve Huffman even said in the Verge interview that at the end of the day, Reddit is not a charity. These deals help bring in solid revenue and give Reddit more space to grow without messing with the user experience.
Helping Mods
Reddit is also using AI to make life easier for moderators. Instead of replacing them, these tools help spot spam faster, flag toxic stuff early, and even look at patterns in comments to catch issues before they blow up. It’s more support than control. Mods still run the sub, AI just saves them time.
Finally…
Reddit turning 20 isn’t just about looking back. It’s more about what’s coming next. While most of the internet is going all-in on AI and losing that human feel, Reddit is trying to do the opposite. They want to bring in smart tools but still keep the real community vibe. If they pull it off, Reddit could actually be one of the few platforms where AI fits in without ruining what made it good in the first place.
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