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Reddit’s CEO says Google’s AI Mode ‘does not drive traffic’
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Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said Google’s AI Mode “does not drive traffic” during the company’s Q3 2026 earnings call. Reddit reported that October search traffic fell by more than 1 million referrals on average per week. Huffman tied part of the decline to Google’s AI Mode and AI Overviews.
He said AI Mode does not drive traffic for Reddit or “anybody, as far as I know.” Huffman argued AI Overviews and AI Mode now push “everyone down the search page.” Reddit also believes machine-translated content ranks lower, mainly affecting traffic outside the US.
Despite the drop, Huffman said demand for Reddit remains strong. He noted Reddit is still a “top search term in Google” and Google is “crawling us as hard as ever.” The issue, he said, is that “Google is not sending them to Reddit the way they used to.”
The pressure extends beyond Reddit. Google said yesterday it sees “lower monetization” in AI Mode ads, though it is expanding AI ads to more countries. The trend raises questions for publishers that depend on search referrals as AI answers keep users on results pages.
Reddit is responding by trying to become a “direct, sticky, daily destination.” It introduced a “For You” feed yesterday and in August began testing AI that turns posts into short videos. Reddit also will force everyone to log in, which Huffman said improves user experience, ads, safety compliance, and data protection.
The comments highlight a widening tension between AI search and the open web. As Google’s AI features reshape discovery, Reddit’s decline may signal broader referral challenges for search-dependent sites. Reddit’s next test is whether direct engagement and login requirements can offset traffic Google no longer sends.
