Google signed an agreement with Reddit to supply data to be used in artificial intelligence training. In the statement made by Reddit on the subject, it was stated that more efficient data will be provided to Google for the training of artificial intelligence models.
This collaboration will give Google access to Reddit’s data API. The API in question pulls real-time content from Reddit. This will provide “Google with an efficient and structured way to access the large set of existing content on Reddit,” while also allowing the company to display Reddit content in new ways across its products.
“API usage is about cost recovery, and data licensing is a new potential business for us,” Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said last year when speaking about Reddit’s API changes and subsequent protests. This means Reddit could sign similar deals in the future.
The collaboration will also give Reddit access to Vertex AI, Google’s artificial intelligence-powered service that is expected to help companies improve search results. Reddit says the change does not affect the company’s data API terms, which prevent developers or companies from accessing it for commercial purposes without approval.
Reddit recently made a $60 million education deal with an unnamed artificial intelligence company. Google Search is currently expanding testing of a “forums” filter that will let you browse results on sites where people are discussing it, like Reddit, Stack Overflow, and Hacker News.
Google has clashed with its artificial intelligence partner Reddit in the past
Although Google works with Reddit for artificial intelligence training, it should be reminded that the two companies do not always stand in the same place. Reddit previously threatened to block Google from crawling its site over concerns that companies would use its data for free to train artificial intelligence models. Reddit is also preparing to announce its initial public offering in the coming weeks, likely making the change as part of an effort to boost its valuation of over $10 billion in 2021.