Reddit AI Videos Turn Old Text Threads into Narrated Clips
Reddit has begun converting some text posts into short portrait videos read by AI voices, starting on the web on Monday and the apps on Tuesday. A toggle lets you pick Read or Play. Reddit AI videos leave the original threads untouched. The company calls it a limited experiment.
What Reddit Says It’s Doing
A spokesperson explained to Mashable:
“The experiment uses AI to create new audio and video formats and bring real human conversations to life, including multi-voice text-to-speech, captions, and visual template.”
Reddit also provided a reason for its new feature:
“Someone might want to listen to Reddit while exercising, walking, running errands, or watch written conversations come to life through video and audio.”
The company emphasized that the tests are early and limited. TechCrunch received a similar message, highlighting Reddit’s goals to understand which post types resonate with users and if the formats can be done authentically.
The Original Posts Remain Unchanged
A Reddit spokesperson confirmed to Karissa Bell of Engadget that the text posts and comments “remain unchanged.” The new formats link back to them.
Where the Idea Came From
CEO Steve Huffman mentioned this idea on Reddit’s second-quarter earnings call in July:
“There is an emerging content type elsewhere on the internet of, basically, podcasts where people read Reddit content.”
He referred to popular clips on TikTok and Instagram Reels where Reddit threads are read aloud, often over unrelated gameplay footage.
How the Videos Are Put Together
Reddit AI videos contain no AI-generated imagery. According to James Peckham of PCMag, the visuals are simply screenshots of the Reddit posts themselves, working like subtitles while the voices read. Different voices handle the narration.