Reddit is experimenting with turning text posts into audio and video content. Some posts are being converted into videos that use AI voices to read the main post and comments aloud. The video highlights the text as it's read, and a note indicates it's a "Real conversation voiced by AI."
An example is an eight-year-old post from r/boardgames about road trip games for adults. Instead of a text thread, it features a three-minute video with AI voices reading out responses. Users can toggle between "Read" (text) and "Play" (video). This format might be easier for new internet users but could lead to mispronunciations or incorrect comment citations.
This initiative follows Reddit's recent statement in an earnings shareholder letter about "reimagining how users and communities connect, share, and consume content through a modernized video experience on Reddit." CEO Steve Huffman also hinted at this experiment, mentioning a way for users to listen to posts in the background, noting the engagement potential of a spoken version of Reddit content.
The experiment is currently available on the web and will roll out on iOS and Android starting Tuesday. A spokesperson stated, "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." Initially, it will feature select existing posts, with expansion planned over time.
Earlier this year, Reddit also introduced video replies to comments.
