DuckDuckGo Gains Search Traffic as Users Flee Google’s AI Push
▼ Summary
– DuckDuckGo’s “No AI” search page visits more than tripled after Google’s May 19th AI announcements, with traffic remaining about 84 percent above baseline since then.
– DuckDuckGo is promoting new Chrome and Firefox extensions that set No AI search as the default, which excludes AI-assisted answers, chat interfaces, and reduces AI images.
– DuckDuckGo can be set as the default search engine on Apple devices, but the specific No AI page cannot be set as default.
– DuckDuckGo plans to add No AI search settings to its original extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera soon.
– Other privacy-focused search engines like Kagi minimize AI results, with Kagi offering a paid, ad-free model that does not collect or sell user data.
Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo is seeing a significant traffic boost for its “No AI” search option following Google’s major AI announcements on May 19th. At its I/O event, Google unveiled a redesigned search box heavily infused with artificial intelligence, including AI-driven suggestions as an upgrade to standard autocomplete, support for conversational follow-up questions, expanded Personal Intelligence features that connect Gmail and Google Photos, and new Search agents.
According to data shared with MacRumors, visits to DuckDuckGo’s No AI search page more than tripled on May 28th, and the upward trend has persisted. Since May 19, daily visits have consistently averaged about 84 percent above baseline levels.
DuckDuckGo is actively capitalizing on this demand. The company is promoting new browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox that set No AI search as the default option. This mode eliminates AI-generated answers, removes chat interfaces, and reduces the number of AI-produced images in results.
While DuckDuckGo can be set as the default search engine on Apple devices, users cannot currently set the specific No AI page as the default. The company does offer its own AI tools, but these are disabled for anyone who chooses the No AI experience.
Looking ahead, DuckDuckGo plans to add No AI search settings to its original extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera in the near future.
DuckDuckGo is not the only alternative for users seeking search results with minimal AI interference. Kagi, a paid search engine, offers a similar experience with no visible AI information unless users specifically opt for AI tools. Kagi costs $5 per month for a limited number of searches, or $10 per month for unlimited searches. Because it is a subscription service, Kagi has no ads and does not collect or sell user data.
(Source: MacRumors)
