Reddit experiments with AI-voiced videos that read posts aloud

The feature, currently live on the web for some users and rolling out to iOS and Android starting Tuesday, adds a slider toggle at the top of eligible posts marked “Read” for text or “Play” for video. The videos use AI voices to read the main post and some comments, highlight text as it is spoken, and carry a note beneath the video saying it is a “Real conversation voiced by AI.”

An example cited by The Verge is an eight-year-old post in the r/boardgames subreddit asking for road trip games adults will like, which has 101 comments. Instead of a text thread, the post now shows the original question above a three-minute video in which AI voices read responses. The Verge noted that while the video may be easier for people unfamiliar with internet forums, it could introduce problems such as mispronunciations or citing incorrect comments.

The experiment follows Reddit’s shareholder letter in which the company said it was “reimagining how users and communities connect, share, and consume content through a modernized video experience on Reddit.” During an earnings call, CEO Steve Huffman hinted at the feature, saying the company was working on a way for people to listen to posts in the background. He pointed to an “emerging content type” of videos that are just AI voices reading Reddit posts and said a listened-to or spoken version of Reddit “can be really engaging as well.”

Reddit spokesperson Rosa Kim told The Verge that the experiment 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.” Kim said the experiment will start with select existing posts first and be expanded to more existing posts over time.