Reddit Launches 'Reddit Reviews': AI Summarizes User Comments for ~10,000 Products
Reddit introduces a new feature using AI to turn community discussions into structured product reviews, aiming to aid US shoppers ahead of the holidays.
Reddit officially launched "Reddit Reviews" on Tuesday, a new feature that uses artificial intelligence to organize vast amounts of user conversations about specific products into structured review summaries. This move aims to strengthen Reddit's position as a destination for consumer product research, particularly ahead of the upcoming holiday shopping season.
According to TechCrunch, the feature is now rolling out to all US users on iOS, Android, and web, initially covering approximately 10,000 products. Users can access these reviews by searching for a product or category in the app's search bar, or by clicking on highlighted product names within comments. The resulting page displays a "what people are saying" section with AI-generated summaries of key conversations, along with a visual breakdown showing the proportion of positive, negative, and mixed sentiments.
Reddit states that this feature builds on how users already leverage the platform: to learn from others' first-hand experiences and recommendations. By structuring this unorganized data with AI, the platform hopes to help users quickly determine if a product fits their needs. For instance, someone considering an espresso machine might want to know about counter space requirements or ease of use for beginners. Users can browse original comments, filter by topic, or click through to the source conversation for more advice.
It is worth noting that the rise of generative AI and bots has increased the risk of "astroturfing"—where brands fake public support—in the online review space. In its announcement, Reddit pointed to its community rules, recent measures to combat automated abuse and spam, and the role of community moderators as tools to ensure the legitimacy of these AI-curated reviews. The company had been testing the feature since February, initially with US users in categories like Electronics, Video Games, and Health & Beauty, expanding to Home & Garden and Fashion & Apparel in September.