DuckDuckGo makes ‘AI-less’ search engine more accessible as its traffic booms

As traffic continues to rise, an alternative search engine Duck, duck, go Leaning into anti-AI sentiment with the launch of new browser extensions that allow users to customize their search experience without AI, noai.duckduckgo.comas their default search engine.

Once enabled, users will be directed to the company’s AI-free search page, where there are no AI-assisted answers, no chat prompts, and fewer AI images in search results, the company claims. Add-ons are currently available for chrome and Firefox Users. Meanwhile, people who switched to the DuckDuckGo web browser actually have their AI settings preserved, even if they clear their browser history.

The company says the additions aim to help people have a consistent search experience free of artificial intelligence, something that is difficult to achieve these days, especially after Google. Announce It gave an AI-first revamp to its search engine at its developer conference earlier in May.

Since then, traffic to DuckDuckGo It was thriving. Last week, the company noted that web visits to its non-AI search page were up nearly 30% week over week, and its US app installs were up 18.1% week over week, with US iOS app installs peaking at 69.9% week over week growth.

These trends came on the heels of news that Google was repair Its search box is in the biggest change to its search engine in over 25 years. Now, instead of returning links at the top of the page, Google will prefer to send users to AI-generated search overviews, which are becoming more interactive experiences capable of creating visualizations, charts, graphs, or even applets, as needed. Follow-up questions from AI Overviews will prompt users to try chatting in AI mode. The traditional “Blue Ten Links” that defined Google in its earlier days are merely an afterthought, appearing beneath all this AI-fueled productivity.

But not everyone agrees with making AI the default, which is why some are turning to it Alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo, Kagi, etc.

DuckDuckGo says traffic to its site Search page without artificial intelligence It rose threefold on Thursday, May 28, 2026 — a new high mark since Google Search’s announcement — and the numbers are still rising. The company points out that growth does not come in spurts either. Instead, visits are averaging approximately 84% above baseline, indicating a more sustainable shift.

In addition to the Chrome and Firefox extensions for “non-AI” search, DuckDuckGo will soon update the native DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera to provide controls for AI search settings as well.

It should be noted that DuckDuckGo is not an anti-AI company. The company still offers its own AI-powered chatbot with access to many popular templates, And subscription plan Which provides access to the latest models and other tools, such as VPN service, identity theft recovery, and personal information removal services.