Reddit Expands AI Auto-Translation and Key New Appointment
Reddit, the popular online forum, has announced an upcoming expansion of its AI auto-translation feature to 35 additional countries. This new function will allow users to read and respond to posts and comments in their preferred language, with automatic translation in either direction. The feature, which was tested earlier this year in France, is already available in Spain and Brazil and will soon be accessible in Germany, Italy, the Philippines, and various Latin American countries.
According to Reddit’s announcement on Wednesday, the translation service will operate on both mobile and desktop browsers as well as on Reddit’s mobile apps. Users will have the option to click a translate icon to convert their entire feed to a language of their choosing. The responses to posts will be translated back into the original language of the community, ensuring seamless communication. Additionally, Reddit will include translated content in search results and mark translated posts with a notification banner, allowing users to switch between translated and original text.
This move follows Reddit's $60 million agreement with Google earlier this year, enabling Google's AI models to train on user-generated content from Reddit. With this robust background in AI and user growth, Statista projects that Reddit will grow to approximately 53 million active US users per month by next year, up from 49 million as of the second quarter of 2024.
In another significant development, Reddit has appointed Mike Romoff as the new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Romoff will spearhead the company's advertising and sales departments, concentrating on expanding global partnerships with clients and agencies, and scaling sales and partner teams. He brings a wealth of experience from his time as Vice President of U.S. SMB Sales at Google and various high-level roles at LinkedIn, including founding the Agency and Channel Sales functions and managing the Global Channel Sales Team.
Romoff’s predecessor, Harold Klaje, who led Reddit’s sales and advertising teams for over four years, helped the company’s Ads Business grow significantly. Under Klaje, Reddit saw a year-over-year growth of more than 41% in Q2 2024, through the introduction of unique ad formats and advanced advertising technologies.
The expansion of the AI translation tool is expected to significantly grow Reddit’s user base outside of English-speaking regions. CEO Steve Huffman termed the machine translation feature as “one of the best opportunities we've ever seen to rapidly grow the content base outside of English.”
Reddit’s increasing utilisation of AI extends beyond translations. Last week, the company rolled out Ads Manager tools that leverage AI for small businesses, offering an ads inspiration library, an AI copywriter, and an image auto-cropper.
These advancements aim to increase the platform’s accessibility and performance, making it more appealing to international users and small businesses alike. With these tools, Reddit continues to tap into the power of automation to streamline user experience and business operations, further underscoring its commitment to innovation and growth.
Source: Noah Wire Services