DuckDuckGo installs and “No AI” traffic rise after Google’s AI search changes

DuckDuckGo is riding a fresh wave of user interest after Google’s AI-heavy search overhaul demoed at Google I/O. Here’s the latest data on the search engine’s recent success, which is especially strong among iPhone users. more…

Google has faced criticism for not offering an easy way to opt out of new AI features

After Google announced AI-emphasizing changes to its search results, many web surfers began defecting to DuckDuckGo, reports TechCrunch. (They describe DuckDuckGo as "a privacy-focused alternative" that accounts for around 2% of the U.S. search market...) DuckDuckGo said U.S. app installs went up 18.1% week-over-week on average during the May 20 to May 25 period, compared to May 13 to May 18. The company said that growth was sustained for six consecutive days and peaked at 30.5% on May 25. On iOS, the rate of install is even higher, with week-over-week growth hitting a 33% average, peaking at 69.9%... DuckDuckGo said the trend is stronger in the U.S, and that DuckDuckGo continued to gain users over the Memorial Day weekend, when it usually sees a dip in traffic. Some of that data is backed up by third parties. App analytics company Apptopia found a 29% increase in average daily downloads in the U.S. and a 12% increase globally over the same period. DuckDuckGo also said visits to its AI-free search page, noai.duckduckgo.com averaged 22.7% week-over-week growth, peaking at 27.7% on May 24, according to the article. ("DuckDuckGo also offers an AI Image Filter that filters out AI-created images from search results.") TechCrunch delves into the reason why: I overheard a woman on the phone saying she was switching to DuckDuckGo because you can "opt out of using AI... Google just isn't Google anymore," she said. It seems that others had the same idea... Some have argued it will kill the open web, while others shared concerns that AI overviews surface inaccurate responses and take away control from users who might not want to use AI. It also overcomplicates simple things. A Google spokesperson pointed out that AI Mode isn't the default in their search results. (And CNET notes Google include an AI-free "Web" choice in its results if you just want a page of ftraditional blue links.) TechCrunch adds that DuckDuckGo also offers a separate free tool called Duck.ai offering access to models including Claude, Meta's Llama and OpenAI's GPT-5 mini. "All chats are private because DuckDuckGo strips the user's IP address before requests reach model providers, deletes conversations within 30 days, and prevents chats from being used for training." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has seen a surge in demand for its "No AI" search option in the wake of Google's May 19th I/O announcements. Google debuted a new "intelligent" search box reimagined with AI. It features AI suggestions as an upgrade to autocomplete, support for follow-up questions, expanded Personal Intelligence for connecting Gmail and Google Photos, and Search agents. DuckDuckGo told MacRumors that visits to its No AI search page more than tripled after Google's announcement. Traffic hit the 3x mark on May 28th, and has continued to climb. Visits have averaged around 84 percent above baseline consistently since May 19. DuckDuckGo is embracing demand for No AI search options, and it is promoting new extensions available for Chrome and Firefox that set No AI search as the default. No AI search has no AI-assisted answers, no chat interface, and it surfaces fewer AI images. DuckDuckGo can be set as the default search engine on Apple devices, but not the specific No AI page. DuckDuckGo has its own AI tools, but they are turned off for people who opt for the No AI experience. DuckDuckGo plans to add No AI search settings to its original extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera in the near future. Along with DuckDuckGo, there are other privacy-focused search engine options that minimize AI results. Paid search engine Kagi is one example, with no visible AI information unless you opt for AI tools. Kagi is $5 per month for a limited number of searches, and $10 a month for unlimited searches. Because it is a paid search engine, it does not have ads and it does not collect and sell user data.Tags: DuckDuckGo, GoogleThis article, "DuckDuckGo's 'No AI' Search Traffic Climbs as Users Reject Google's AI Overhaul" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums

The privacy-focused search engine and browser had a surge in customers, coinciding with Google's announcement of planned changes.

DuckDuckGo says installs surged after Google's AI search overhaul, hinting some users may want less AI in search.