Shortly after announcing plans to move the platform to a login-based model, Reddit is introducing a feature that could make the site more attractive to those searching for product information online. The company today announced Reddit Reviews, a tool that turns discussions about various products into reviews that include key messages and takeaways from users across the platform’s communities.
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Reddit Reviews uses artificial intelligence to analyze discussions where users share their experiences with products. In such discussions, people often talk about how the product performed in practice, why it failed, or what compromises should be made before purchasing. Personal reviews and recommendations help consumers understand whether a particular product is right for them.
The company has been testing the new tool since February, initially making it available to US users in categories such as Electronics, Video Games and Health & Beauty. In September, testing expanded to include the Home & Garden and Fashion & Apparel categories. Reddit Reviews is now available to all users in the US, both on mobile apps for iOS and Android, and on the web. At the initial stage, the function covers about 10,000 products. Over time, it will be expanded to other product categories and expand beyond the United States.
To use it, Reddit users can search for the product or category they’re looking for through the in-app search bar, or by clicking on the highlighted product name in someone’s comment. Thereafter, a page titled “What People Are Saying” will provide a brief summary of the main discussions. It also provides visual statistics: how many comments are positive, negative or neutral, as well as what exactly users liked or didn’t like about the product.
Image Source: Reddit
Users can view comments, filter by topic, or jump to the original discussion to ask additional questions and get advice. From a review of a specific product, you can return to the overall category list to view other similar products and compare available options. The feature launches ahead of the busy holiday shopping season, a period when people spend much more time researching products online before making big purchases.
Given the development of generative artificial intelligence and the spread of bots, the sphere of reviews and feedback becomes vulnerable to astroturfing – imitation of public support for a brand. The term comes from the name of the American company AstroTurf, which produces artificial turf for stadiums that imitates grass, much like a fabricated public initiative imitates the real thing.
As Reddit’s new tool turns spontaneous discussions into a structured review format, the platform could become an attractive target for such fake reviews and recommendations. Reddit says it has developed measures to combat such abuse. Among them is the involvement of moderators from among real users, which, according to the company’s plan, should increase the reliability of reviews.
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