Reddit is introducing several new ad products built around its "community intelligence," the company exclusively tells Axios.Why it matters: As AI answer engines become more popular for shopping and recommendations, Reddit is investing in being the place consumers go to research."We are a trove of human intelligence," COO Jen Wong tells Axios. "Even as people use AI more, they still are seeking out information from humans as a companion to that."Zoom in: Reddit's new tools, announced Monday on the first day of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, are designed to turn that validation behavior into advertising opportunities.Shopping List Ads, Reddit's first multi-advertiser format, surface products alongside relevant conversations where users are already comparing options and seeking advice.Free-form ad generator helps brands create Reddit-native ads, using their website and related Reddit conversations. The platform also can suggest headlines and image variations tailored to specific Reddit communities and audience personas.Redditor Highlights is now generally available, where brands can showcase positive user posts or summaries about their company or products in ads.Zoom out: The strategy comes as Reddit's advertising business has accelerated since its IPO. The company reported ad revenue of $625 million for the first quarter, up 74% year-over-year. The big picture: Unlike platforms built around individual creators, Reddit's authority comes from collective expertise. The platform draws from more than 25 billion posts and comments, using signals like community structure, moderation, rankings and conversation quality to understand what constitutes a useful discussion."The community is the influencer," Wong says. "One person started the conversation or maybe a handful of people gave a disproportionate amount of helpful commentary, but it's the group that actually made the trove of intelligence that helped somebody else."