Reddit Tests AI-Generated Videos to Read Aloud Popular Posts

Reddit began testing AI-generated videos that read popular posts aloud, starting Aug. 17, with select English-language posts on iOS, Android, and desktop. The feature, announced by CEO Steve Huffman in July, uses AI voiceovers to narrate posts and top responses, with a disclaimer noting 'real conversation voiced by AI.' Reddit aims to make content more accessible and immersive, potentially expanding if successful.

Reddit is experimenting with a new way to interact with posts, using AI-generated voiceovers to bring some of its users’ most popular submissions to life. In a new experiment from Monday, Aug. 17, Reddit now offers a video version of select posts. It takes a post from a subreddit, uses an AI-powered voiceover to read it aloud, then uses different-sounding voices to read the most popular responses. For example, an eight-year-old post on r/boardgames https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/8zux7m/what are some good road trip games for adults/video/ asks, “What are some good road trip games for adults?” If you opt for the new video option, you will see an almost three-and-a-half-minute AI-generated video in a new Play tab that talks through the initial post and some of the best responses to the question. There’s a disclaimer at the bottom of the video to say “real conversation voiced by AI,” and you can switch back to the typical format using the Read tab at the top of the post. There are no AI-generated visuals; instead showing screenshots of Reddit posts, which work like subtitles on the screen. In all the examples PCMag viewed, the responses were text-based and didn't include any multimedia elements such as photos, GIFs, or videos. It appears Reddit is beginning with manually curated posts to make sure the feature works, including another example https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/1u8m2o8/eli5 why dont they use a stop clock in soccer/video/?share id=lXWW6q4kiAbuUEwnJZA2M&utm content=share button&utm medium=web3x&utm name=web3xcss&utm source=share&utm term=1 of a recent r/explainlikeimfive post titled “Why don’t they use a stock clock in soccer?” Reddit is kicking off with select English-language posts, with plans to expand at a later date if it proves successful. According to TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/17/reddit-begins-testing-a-new-audio-and-video-experience-similar-to-popular-tiktok-videos/ , this experiment will be available across iOS, Android, and desktop. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman first told /social-media/166506/run-out-of-podcasts-reddit-may-soon-allow-you-to-watch-or-listen-to-posts analysts about the feature in the brand's July earnings call, where he said, “There is an emerging content type elsewhere on the internet of, basically, podcasts where people read Reddit content.” He was referring to those on social media platforms, such as TikTok or Instagram Reels, that use Reddit posts as sources for videos. In a statement on the new feature seen by Mashable https://mashable.com/tech/reddit-ai-generated-video-audio-posts , Reddit said, “Someone might want to listen to Reddit while exercising, walking, running errands, or watch written conversations come to life through video and audio." “We are testing whether these formats are useful and how Reddit can authentically scale these experiences, with the goal of understanding how different conversation formats can make Reddit more accessible and immersive in more moments."