Google and social media platform Reddit have joined forces in a groundbreaking partnership. Under this collaboration, Reddit will provide its content to train Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) models. The announcement states that Reddit will offer improved training methods to Google, while Google can utilize Reddit’s data application programming interface (API) to access real-time content from Reddit’s platform. This will allow Google to display Reddit content across its products and tap into Reddit’s vast collection of information.
In return, Reddit will have access to Google’s Vertex AI, an AI-powered service that enhances search results for businesses. However, it is important to note that this partnership does not alter the terms of Reddit’s data API, which still maintains restrictions on commercial access without approval.
This collaboration between Google and Reddit follows a recent report stating that Reddit secured a $60 million training agreement with an undisclosed AI company. Additionally, Reddit had previously announced plans to charge companies for API usage. Therefore, this partnership with Google is significant as it marks Reddit’s first major agreement with a prominent AI-focused company.
In 2023, Google made updates to its privacy policy, allowing for the use of publicly available data for AI training. This change came shortly after OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, faced a class-action lawsuit in California for allegedly scraping private user information from the internet. In contrast, generative AI startup Anthropic has promised not to use client data for large language model (LLM) training starting from January 2024, as stated in updates to its commercial terms of service.
Although this partnership represents a significant step forward, it is worth noting that Google and Reddit have not always seen eye to eye. In the past, Reddit threatened to block Google from using its crawlers on its site due to concerns about companies using its data for AI model training without permission.
Furthermore, Reddit’s journey has been eventful, as the company recently filed for its initial public offering (IPO). The IPO, expected to go public in March, aims to boost Reddit’s valuation, which exceeded $10 billion in 2021. This will mark the first major social media IPO since Pinterest’s IPO in 2019.
In recent months, AI model creators have actively sought agreements with content owners to broaden their training data beyond web scraping. This move comes as numerous content owners have claimed that their material was used without permission. As a result, securing partnerships with content owners has become vital for AI model development.
In conclusion, the partnership between Google and Reddit holds great potential for advancing AI technology. Both companies bring unique strengths to the table, and this collaboration is expected to yield significant benefits for both parties involved.