Reddit's Uncertain Future Amid AI Boom: Can It Survive?

Reddit has long occupied a unique position on the internet, serving as both an essential resource for search engines like Google and a crucial source of training data and links for AI companies. This dual role has been tolerable for Reddit due to its recent growth spurt, which coincided with its public listing in early 2024. The platform’s explosive expansion was largely driven by the collapse of other online forums and Google’s decision to send users directly to Reddit. As a result, Reddit enjoyed enormous growth during this period, but it also became increasingly dependent on Google for traffic.