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Reddit Tests AI Voices to Turn Text Threads into Short Audio and Video

The company hopes packaging popular posts as narrated clips will keep users and ad dollars on Reddit while it measures usefulness and authenticity.

Overview

  • Reddit began a limited experiment on August 17 that converts selected English-language posts into AI-narrated audio and short videos, with the test visible on the web and rolling out to iOS and Android.
  • The feature uses AI-generated voices to read the main post and a curated set of comments, highlights on-screen text in sync with narration, and shows a label reading “Real conversation voiced by AI.”
  • Users can switch between the original thread and the generated clip with a Read/Play toggle so the native text remains accessible and engagement can continue on Reddit.
  • Reporters flagged practical risks including mispronunciations, AI citing the wrong comments, and added moderation challenges for ensuring accuracy and attribution in narrated clips.
  • The move follows Reddit’s prior video experiments and is meant to reclaim engagement and ad revenue that third-party creators have built by repackaging Reddit threads, and testing is expected to continue through late 2026.