Reddit experiments with AI to turn text posts into videos
Reddit is testing a new feature that converts text posts and comments into AI-voiced videos, rolling out on web and mobile apps.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Reddit tests AI-generated videos reading text posts and user comments
- Users can switch between traditional text reading and audio-video playback modes
- CEO Steve Huffman aims to modernize how communities consume platform content
Social media platform Reddit is exploring a novel way for people to consume online discussions by transforming traditional text-based posts into audio and video formats. As part of an ongoing experiment, selected posts are being converted into video clips featuring artificial intelligence voices that read aloud the main submission alongside user replies.
These generated videos highlight specific lines of text on screen as the synthetic voice narrates the content. Additionally, a clear notice is displayed underneath each video indicating that it features a real conversation voiced entirely by artificial intelligence, ensuring transparency for community members.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
A notable example of this feature in action involves an eight-year-old discussion thread from the r/boardgames subreddit containing 101 replies regarding road trip games for adults. Instead of navigating the standard text interface, readers are presented with a three-minute video powered by AI voices reading through the responses. Visitors can seamlessly switch back and forth between reading text and watching the video using a toggle marked Read and Play at the top of the page.
Reddit's latest move highlights the platform's strategy to adapt to modern media consumption habits, particularly among users who prefer passive listening formats like podcasts over reading lengthy text forums. While this lowers the barrier to entry for newcomers, it also introduces potential challenges such as pronunciation errors by synthetic voices or the risk of misrepresenting the broader context of a comment thread.
This initiative follows recent remarks in a shareholder earnings letter where Reddit stated it was reimagining how users and communities connect, share, and consume content through a modernized video experience. During an earnings call, CEO Steve Huffman also hinted at background listening capabilities, pointing out the existing popularity of third-party channels dedicated to reading Reddit threads aloud.
According to Reddit spokesperson Rosa Kim, the experiment is currently live on desktop web browsers and is scheduled to roll out across iOS and Android applications starting Tuesday. The company is manually curating which specific posts get converted into these video formats during this initial phase.
This is an early, limited experiment to understand whether people find these formats useful and how we can deliver them in a way that feels authentic to Reddit.
Rosa Kim
Kim noted that the experiment will initially target a select group of existing posts before gradually expanding to cover more content over time. This rollout builds upon other recent multimedia enhancements on the platform, including the introduction of video replies earlier this year.
Source: The Verge
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment