Reddit recently unveiled a series of upcoming product enhancements, with Chief Product Officer Pali Bhat emphasizing the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in these new features.
Following its Initial Public Offering (IPO), Reddit is focusing on enhancing user engagement and expanding its global reach through AI-driven developments such as improved language translations, quicker website loading times, and advanced moderation tools.
In an interview with TechCrunch, Bhat highlighted that despite the IPO being a significant event, the company’s priority remains on user-centric development. The planned features aim to make Reddit more accessible and user-friendly, especially for non-English speakers, by introducing an AI-powered language translation feature.
This tool will enable users to interact in their native languages, effectively transforming Reddit into a multilingual platform where, for example, a French post can be automatically translated for English speakers and vice versa.
Expanding Global Reach
This change is part of Reddit’s broader strategy to break away from its predominantly English-speaking user base, which has traditionally centered around the United States, United Kingdom, and Mexico.
According to Reddit’s IPO filing, as of December 2023, half of the platform’s daily active unique users were from outside the U.S. This international expansion indicates Reddit’s ambition to cultivate a more diverse and global online community.
Enhancing Moderation with AI
Bhat also discussed enhancements to the moderation experience on Reddit, which include the implementation of AI to assist moderators. New features such as keyword highlighting will aid moderators in identifying potentially problematic content more efficiently.
Furthermore, Reddit plans to introduce tools powered by large language models (LLMs) that learn from past moderator actions, facilitating more nuanced and effective content management.
Encouraging Developer Innovation
In addition to these user and moderator-focused improvements, Reddit is also encouraging more developer engagement through its API. The recent controversy surrounding changes to its API pricing structure led to significant backlash from the developer community; however, Bhat mentioned that this has since settled.
Now, Reddit is promoting the development of community-driven tools and features, such as a live dashboard on r/WallStreetBets for tracking trending stocks and a popular Super Bowl scoreboard on r/TaylorSwift.
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Featured Image courtesy of Gabby Jones/Bloomberg