Reddit CEO Steve Huffman Addresses AI Data Scraping Lawsuits: “We See Both Sides”

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has weighed in on the company’s recent lawsuits against AI developers Perplexity and Anthropic, saying he recognizes the complexity of the issue. Speaking with CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Thursday, Huffman said that while Reddit must defend its intellectual property, he understands the broader context of AI companies seeking data to train models.

“Look, we see both sides of this,” Huffman said. “Our duty is to protect our data for our business and our users, but we also have great relationships with companies like Google and OpenAI.”

Both Perplexity and Anthropic have denied Reddit’s allegations that they accessed the platform’s data without authorization. The company has, however, signed official data licensing agreements with OpenAI and Google, with the latter reportedly valued at around 60 million dollars. Huffman said such partnerships demonstrate how collaboration can make products better for both companies and users.

The remarks come as Reddit continues to strengthen its financial position following a successful earnings report that exceeded Wall Street expectations. The company posted a 74 percent year over year increase in ad revenue, signaling steady growth despite macroeconomic uncertainty.

“We hear some concerns about tariffs and broader market trends, but from what we can see, the ads market is stable,” Huffman said. “Our focus remains on delivering results for our customers.”

As Reddit balances legal action with strategic partnerships in the AI space, Huffman suggested that responsible collaboration rather than confrontation will define the company’s future in the evolving data economy.