Reddit's CEO Steve Huffman used the company's latest earnings call to take aim at Google's AI Overviews, the feature that automatically generates summaries for search queries. His criticism came as Reddit's stock price fell following the earnings report.
Huffman's main argument is simple: Google's AI-powered summaries are not delivering the same value to websites that traditional search results did. He pointed directly to the classic format of search results — what he called the "10 blue links" — as something that has driven real traffic and value across the internet.
Reddit CEO says AI Overviews haven't matched traditional search results
According to CNBC, Huffman said, "The 10 blue links have driven a tremendous amount of value for the whole ecosystem, and AI Overviews has yet to make a similar level of positive impact."
The concern is about referral traffic. As Google pushes AI-powered summaries to users, websites like Reddit are not seeing the same volume of visitors coming through from Google searches as they did in the past. For a platform that relies heavily on search traffic to bring in users, this is a significant issue.
Reddit stock falls despite strong earnings results
The timing of these comments matters. Reddit's shares tumbled after the company's earnings report, even though the financial results actually beat analyst estimates. This suggests investors are focused on the bigger picture — how AI is changing the way people find and consume content online.
According to Ars Technica, Reddit may still be considering ending its licensing deal with Google. This is a significant possibility because that deal currently allows Google to train its AI models on Reddit content.
"The 10 blue links have driven a tremendous amount of value for the whole ecosystem, and AI Overviews has yet to make a similar level of positive impact." — Steve Huffman, Reddit CEO via CNBC
What this means for the Google-Reddit relationship
Huffman's comments point to a growing tension between content platforms and AI-powered search. Reddit provides valuable content that Google's AI systems use, but the company is questioning whether it is getting fair value in return.
According to discussion on Reddit's technology forum, one option being floated is that Huffman could simply choose not to renew the agreement that allows Google to train its AI models on Reddit content. If that happens, Google would lose access to a major source of training data.
Huffman also noted that Google's AI Overviews have created uncertainty when it comes to search traffic, according to CNBC's coverage on Facebook. This uncertainty is not just a Reddit problem — it affects the entire web ecosystem that has relied on Google search for visitors.
Our Take: The AI search trade-off is getting real
To put it plainly, this is a moment where the internet's old rules are colliding with the new AI reality. For years, websites built their traffic strategies around Google search. If you ranked well, you got visitors. It was a straightforward deal.
AI Overviews change that deal. Instead of sending users to websites, Google now answers the question directly on the search page. That is convenient for users, but it cuts into the traffic that websites depend on. Reddit's CEO is essentially saying: this arrangement is not working for us anymore.
The fact that Reddit's stock fell even after strong earnings shows that investors see this as a real threat, not just noise. And the possibility that Reddit might walk away from its Google licensing deal is a warning shot. If one of the internet's biggest content platforms is unhappy with the AI search trade, others are likely watching closely.
What happens next will depend on whether Google can find a way to make AI Overviews work for both users and content creators. Right now, Reddit is making it clear that the current balance is not acceptable.
