OpenAI will now have access to Reddit’s extensive data to train its artificial intelligence models, and the technology will also be integrated into the popular discussion platform, the companies announced on Thursday. This partnership aims to enhance the capabilities of AI and improve user experiences on Reddit.
Reddit, which went public on the New York Stock Exchange earlier this year, is leveraging the value of its diverse discussion groups to boost revenues. Although financial details of the partnership remain undisclosed, Reddit continues to rely heavily on advertising for revenue.
“Reddit has become one of the internet’s largest open archives of authentic, relevant, and always up-to-date human conversations about anything and everything,” said Reddit CEO Steve Huffman in a joint release. “Including it in ChatGPT upholds our belief in a connected internet, helps people find more of what they’re looking for, and helps new audiences find community on Reddit.”
The partnership allows OpenAI to access Reddit data in real-time, which will be used to enhance content in ChatGPT and power tools on the social media platform.
In December, Reddit faced a major outage as communities protested against new fees for developers accessing its data. Steve Huffman stated that Reddit could no longer subsidize commercial entities that require large-scale data use, asserting that Reddit needs to be a self-sustaining business.
Reddit operates through thousands of “subreddits” – forums on a wide range of topics moderated by their creators. Some of the largest subreddits, like r/funny, r/games, and r/music, have tens of millions of subscribers. Popular features on Reddit, such as AMAs (Ask Me Anything sessions), have become social media standards.
OpenAI highlighted in the release that its CEO, Sam Altman, is a shareholder in Reddit, signaling a deeper connection between the two companies.
