Reddit has quietly been reinventing how users find answers — not just through upvotes and threads, but now via generative AI. With the launch of Reddit Answers, the platform is no longer just a social forum; it’s becoming a powerful knowledge engine. And as of October 2025, it’s available in German, marking a key step in Reddit’s international expansion of AI features.
What is Reddit Answers?
Reddit Answers is a generative AI tool that taps into the platform’s vast archive of real discussions to deliver summarised responses to user queries. Unlike traditional search that surfaces a list of links, this feature generates structured answers with citations and direct links to relevant Reddit comments and threads.
Whether you’re looking for laptop recommendations, fitness routines, or real-life travel advice, Reddit Answers pulls together human experiences and opinions from across relevant subreddits and presents them in a concise, AI-optimised format — similar to Perplexity.ai or Google’s AI Overviews.
From OpenAI to Gemini: Tech Behind the Tool
Initially launched in December 2024 in English and powered by OpenAI, Reddit Answers transitioned to Google’s Gemini model in early 2025. This switch significantly improved the tool’s contextual understanding and language capabilities. By October 2025, Reddit rolled out Answers in five new languages: German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
The feature is now fully integrated into reddit.com/answers and is accessible via Reddit’s main navigation on both desktop and mobile. Users no longer need to search individual subreddits; they can simply enter a question and receive a high-quality, community-backed answer.
Key Features at a Glance
- AI-generated summaries of discussions drawn from real Reddit posts
- Inline links to the original threads and comments
- Suggested subreddits for further exploration
- Community feedback (helpful or not helpful) helps improve answer quality
- Now works in German if the system language or region is set accordingly
German Language Launch (October 2025)
On 16 October 2025, Reddit announced official support for German-language Answers. German-speaking users in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland can now access the same AI-generated responses as English users. Backed by Gemini, the tool produces fluent, natural-sounding answers and directs users to popular subreddits such as r/de, helping them navigate community-driven knowledge more efficiently.
Reddit reported that over six million users were actively using the Answers feature, while the legacy Reddit search still reaches over 70 million weekly users.
Criticism and Controversies
While Reddit Answers has been praised for its helpful summaries, it has also faced criticism — particularly in health-related topics. In one instance, the AI summarised risky substance use advice without adequate context, sparking concern over safety and moderation. Reddit responded by refining its safety filters and moderation tools to reduce harmful or misleading summaries.
This tension highlights a broader debate: how should platforms balance the speed and convenience of AI with the nuanced responsibility of human moderation?
Strategic Move Against Google?
Reddit Answers signals a bold strategic shift. By using its own data corpus to power search, Reddit is positioning itself as a search alternative — not just a social platform. With its deep community-generated knowledge and a growing set of AI tools, Reddit appears to be reducing its dependency on external search engines like Google.
This comes at a time when Reddit has also entered into licensing agreements with companies like OpenAI and Google, granting them access to Reddit’s data to train their own AI models — a move that further solidifies Reddit’s role in the AI economy.
Outlook
Reddit Answers is still officially in beta, but its rapid development, multilingual rollout, and growing user base point to a broader trend: the integration of community knowledge and AI could redefine how we access and trust information online.
With generative summaries, real-user perspectives, and the backing of a vibrant community, Reddit Answers may be more than a feature — it could be Reddit’s future.
