Episode Overview

Podcast: Voices of Search
Episode: One word that best describes Reddit’s role in AI discovery
Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Jordan Cooney
Guest: Danny Kirk, Founder of Ready Reach

This episode grapples with Reddit’s evolving role in the age of AI-powered discovery. The central question: What is the one word that best sums up Reddit in a world where AI Large Language Models (LLMs) are reshaping how we find information? Danny Kirk offers candid, nuanced insights into how Reddit, as a sprawling community, fits into the AI era and how its unique “weirdness” both sets it apart from, and leaves it vulnerable to, the changes brought by LLMs in search and discovery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

“Weird” — Reddit’s Defining Quality in the AI Era

• “Weird” as the Chosen Word
  • [00:51] Danny immediately brands Reddit as “weird.” When pressed for more, he doubles down on it as a positive, emphasizing the platform’s authenticity and eccentricity.
  • “I love weird and I say that in a good term. People that are good people but that are authentic and have something truly interesting about them and are interested in others. There’s no better place to find those people than on Reddit.” — Danny Kirk [04:48]

AI vs. Reddit: Audience, Engagement, and Emotional Connection

• Will Reddit Still Grow in the Age of AI Answers?

  • Jordan Cooney raises the existential concern: With AI able to synthesize and deliver answers conversationally, will users still visit Reddit for in-depth discussion or authentic perspectives? Or will the growth of AI responses stunt Reddit’s community expansion? [00:54–01:48]
  • “Will people just fuel their answers basically through AI responses and not need to engage on Reddit for more detail or substance?” — Jordan Cooney [00:54]

• Emotional Ties to AI—Not Just Data

  • Danny argues that users may prefer AI, as it increasingly provides answers with a human-like voice and even emotional resonance, contrasting with impersonal search platforms.
  • “Nobody has a personal relationship with Google ... people are falling in love with AI, that it has a voice, a literal voice. It’s talking to them, it’s coaching them ... they’re emotionally tied to that answer.” — Danny Kirk [01:48]

• Impact on Reddit’s Active Base

  • Danny predicts Reddit won’t necessarily keep growing its total user base. Instead, engagement might consolidate among “super users” and passionate niche communities.
  • “I do think that the number of total Reddit users relative to their total usage ... is going to go down over time ... because a lot of people are just going to be like, all right, AI search. I just trust that.” — Danny Kirk [01:48–04:10]
  • He believes this shift could be good: it may foster deeper engagement among true fans and brands playing the “long game.”
  • “It’ll consolidate to people that are the true fans of Reddit ... super users, the ones that are the best actors on the platform, brands willing to play the long game. I actually think it’s a good thing.” — Danny Kirk [04:10]

Reddit’s Unique Value: Eccentricity, Depth, and Authenticity

• Celebrating Reddit’s Weirdness
  • Danny sees Reddit as thriving on authenticity, obscure interests, and genuine curiosity, offering an antidote to the drama and “tribal fights” found elsewhere online.
  • “For any obscure topic you can possibly think of, there are three subreddits about that topic. ... In a day and age where people are caught up in politics or tribal fights, people are just nerding out on the best shoe for 100 mile race ... or some type of camper van or cat videos. I find that incredibly cool, but it’s also pretty weird too. But I think that’s okay.” — Danny Kirk [04:48]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Defining Reddit

  • Jordan Cooney: “So what’s the word, one word that best describes Reddit in this new AI discovery world?” [00:43]
  • Danny Kirk: “Weird.” [00:51]

• On AI’s Threat to Reddit’s Utility

  • “Do I think that Reddit will grow to 4 billion users? No, definitely not. I think with AI people are ... just kind of falling in love with it.” — Danny Kirk [04:10]

• Reddit as the Home of the Genuinely Curious and Eccentric

  • “People are just nerding out on the best shoe for 100 mile race coming up ... or cat videos. I find that incredibly cool, but it’s also pretty weird too. But I think that’s okay.” — Danny Kirk [04:48]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:43 – Episode’s central question: “One word that best describes Reddit in this new AI discovery world?”
• 00:51 – Danny’s answer: “Weird.”
• 00:54–01:48 – Discussion: Will Reddit grow, or will AI replace the need for its communities?
• 01:48 – Danny: The rise of AI, emotional connection to answers, and engagement consolidation
• 04:10 – Prediction: Reddit’s user base will consolidate to “super users,” and why that might be positive
• 04:48 – Reddit’s inherent weirdness is its biggest strength; examples from the community

Final Thoughts

This episode is a succinct but insightful examination of Reddit’s distinctiveness in the AI era. Danny Kirk argues that while AI search may reduce the platform’s mainstream engagement, it will enhance Reddit’s core: vibrant, authentic, sometimes eccentric communities. “Weird” isn’t just a descriptor—it’s Reddit’s strength as AI transforms the search landscape.