OpenAI has signed an agreement to access real-time content through Reddit’s Data API, allowing posts and discussions from the site to be used in ChatGPT and other new products. This agreement is similar to the one Reddit reached with Google earlier this year, which was reportedly worth $60 million.
The deal will also allow Reddit to roll out new AI-powered features for users and moderators, as well as use OpenAI’s large language models to build apps. OpenAI will also become an advertising partner for Reddit.
Reddit users have previously voiced their dissatisfaction with the management of the platform, and it is unclear how they will react to this announcement. More than 7,000 subreddits went offline in June 2023 to protest changes to Reddit’s API pricing. Recently, following news of a partnership between OpenAI and Stack Overflow, some users were blocked after attempting to delete their posts.
The blog announcing the agreement did not disclose financial terms, and neither company mentioned what exactly would be included in the training data. However, the blog mentions that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is one of Reddit’s largest shareholders, but this partnership was initiated by OpenAI’s COO and approved by an independent board of directors.
Amid this news, some redditors are joking that due to the inclusion of Reddit in OpenAI data, the appearance of AGI will be delayed by 4 years, since engineers will have to correct its incel, sexist, racist and lascivious traits drawn from discussions.