Reddit Starts Testing AI Voice, Short Video Versions of Text Posts

An old post from r/boardgames, made eight years ago asking for "road trip board game recommendations for adults," has now been turned into a three-minute video: an AI-generated voice reads out the OP's question, then reads a few top replies, with the text being read appearing on screen in sync. This is one of the test examples Reddit shared, and it's the most direct look yet at what this new format looks like.

Reddit confirmed the company is testing a new format on its app and website that converts text posts and comments into audio or short video. The company describes it as a "limited experiment" affecting only "a sample of posts in select communities." The converted audio and video versions link back to the original text posts and comments, and a Reddit spokesperson emphasized that the original text content "remains unchanged."

It's not yet clear what criteria Reddit is using to select posts for testing, but the company is likely focused on threads that frequently show up in search results. Reddit says the experiment is meant to gauge whether users find this format "helpful."

This isn't Reddit's only move toward video this year. Back in June, the platform rolled out "video comments," letting users post videos directly within comment threads and view them in a full-screen player.

CEO Steve Huffman previewed this direction last month during the company's earnings call. "There's already an emerging content format online that's essentially people reading Reddit content aloud as podcasts, so I think an 'audio Reddit' version like this could also have real appeal," he said. Reddit says this round of testing is part of a broader company push to attract new users and retain visitors who only drop by occasionally.

For now, the test is limited to select communities and select posts, with no timeline announced for a wider rollout.