Reddit Gears Up to Challenge Google with AI-Powered Search Engine Plans

As AI reshapes the future of search, Reddit’s plan to combine AI insights with its vibrant community-driven content could make it a serious competitor in the evolving search engine market.


Reddit is set to challenge Google’s dominance in the search engine space. Known as a hub for authentic discussions on everything from AI to cooking recipes, Reddit now aims to become a go-to search destination by integrating its AI-powered Reddit Answers feature with a redesigned search experience.

In a note to investors, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman announced the company’s ambitious plan to make search a central feature of the platform. “We’re unifying Reddit search and Reddit Answers into a single experience and bringing it front and center in the app,” Huffman said, emphasizing the platform’s unique edge: real user conversations and community-driven knowledge, something search giants like Google can’t replicate.

Reddit Answers, launched in December 2023, has seen massive growth — from 1 million users in 2024 to over 6 million weekly users in 2025. The company plans to expand this feature globally, making it available to all users while improving search box visibility across its interface.

With more than 70 million weekly active users, Reddit is leveraging its vast repository of real-time discussions and expert advice to build a search engine alternative that provides reliable, human-driven insights. The platform recently signed major data-sharing deals with OpenAI (ChatGPT maker) and Google, strengthening its AI capabilities and ensuring deeper integration with modern search technologies.

Reddit’s move comes at a time when AI-driven search is rapidly transforming how users find information online. With Google introducing its AI-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE) and platforms like Perplexity.ai gaining traction, Reddit is positioning itself to compete with AI-first search engines by offering community-verified, context-rich answers.

In recent years, many users have been adding “Reddit” to their Google searches to find authentic, high-quality results. Now, with its integrated AI search features, Reddit plans to deliver that experience directly within its platform — minimizing the need for third-party search engines.