OpenAI and Reddit unveiled a collaborative effort on Thursday, which will see OpenAI integrating Reddit discussions into ChatGPT, while Reddit will introduce AI-enhanced functionalities for its user base. This partnership aims to “improve OpenAI’s capability to comprehend and present Reddit content, particularly on contemporary issues,” according to a joint statement by both entities. Additionally, OpenAI will engage as an advertising collaborator on Reddit, signifying it will initiate advertisement campaigns on the social platform.
This collaboration mirrors a previous arrangement Reddit established with Google in February, which is allegedly valued at $60 million. The specifics of the OpenAI agreement were not disclosed by a Reddit spokesperson to Engadget, and OpenAI did not issue a response to inquiries for commentary.
OpenAI has been actively forming partnerships with publishers to acquire data for the ongoing training of its AI technologies. In recent weeks, the organization has secured agreements with the Financial Times and Dotdash Meredith. The preceding year, it joined forces with German publishing house Axel Springer to refine its models with content from Politico, Business Insider in the USA, and Bild and Die Welt in Germany.
Through the newly established agreement, OpenAI will gain access to Reddit’s Data API which promises to supply “real-time, structured, and distinctive content from Reddit.” The specifics on the AI-driven features Reddit plans to develop through this partnership remain unspecified. A representative for Reddit refrained from providing comments on the matter.
Last year faced controversy regarding access to Reddit’s data—a valuable repository of real-time, user-generated, and generally high-caliber information—after the site announced plans to levy charges on developers for API usage. This led to the cessation of numerous third-party Reddit applications and the temporary blackout of thousands of subreddits in protest. Despite the backlash, Reddit maintained its stance and clarified its position by stating that major AI entities were exploiting its data without compensation. Reddit has since been capitalizing on its data through agreements with companies like Google and OpenAI, whose advancements in AI model training depend on such data access.
