Summary

  • Since Google announced its AI search system overhaul during I/O, visits to DuckDuckGo's AI-free search subdomain, noai.duckduckgo.com, surged threefold and have remained 84% above normal levels.
  • Consequently, DuckDuckGo launched No-AI Search extensions for Chrome and Firefox on June 1, allowing users to easily set the AI-free page as their default search engine.
  • Record high app installations were reported in the U.S.

In 2024, DuckDuckGo dedicated significant efforts to creating Duck.ai, a private chatbot enabling users to interact anonymously with models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta. Recently, they debuted a Chrome extension designed to help users avoid AI features altogether.

Things appear to be progressing positively for them.

The DuckDuckGo No-AI Search extension sets noai.duckduckgo.com as your default search engine. This setup provides the same search index and interface, but omits AI-generated image results and summaries, along with other AI features introduced over the last two years. A Firefox version was released concurrently.

Since Google announced its AI search updates, traffic to our "No AI" search page has tripled, and it continues to grow!

Want to make it your default on Chrome or Firefox? Download our No-AI extensions to eliminate AI-generated answers, chat, and images. pic.twitter.com/6RHzHRi9DJ

— DuckDuckGo (@DuckDuckGo) May 29, 2026

If you prefer to selectively disable AI features instead of blocking them entirely, DuckDuckGo's comprehensive Privacy Essentials extension, which also blocks trackers, allows for that flexibility.

This strategic timing was not coincidental. Google introduced what it termed "the most significant update to its Search box in over 25 years" at I/O in early May, replacing traditional blue links with AI agents, expanding text fields, and providing conversational summaries that respond before users finish typing, prompting considerable backlash. DuckDuckGo's CEO Gabriel Weinberg expressed his discontent with these changes.

"Google is imposing AI without an opt-out option. Consequently, their results have deteriorated rather than improved,” Weinberg stated to Paul Therrot. “We aim to be the platform that empowers users, allowing them to choose how much AI they wish to engage with.”

On May 28, traffic to noai.duckduckgo.com tripled to set a new record and has maintained an average of 84% above its typical baseline since then.

In the U.S., DuckDuckGo app installs surged by 18.1% week-over-week from May 20 to May 25, with iOS installations peaking at 69.9% on one day, according to TechCrunch. “Since Google unveiled its AI search overhaul, visits to our "No AI" search page have tripled…and they’re still rising,” the official DuckDuckGo account tweeted.

AI Fatigue

DuckDuckGo isn’t the only entity capitalizing on the anti-AI sentiment. Brave launched Brave Origin in April, a one-time purchase costing $59.99 that simplifies its browser to the essentials: ad blocking and Brave Shields, devoid of any additional features like the Leo AI assistant, crypto wallet, or Brave Rewards.

Users seem willing to pay for a streamlined version of the browser stripped of extras.

Brave's CTO Brian Bondy acknowledged the inherent conflict: The company earns revenue from Leo AI, Brave Wallet, Brave Talk, its VPN, and crypto collaborations. The Origin browser eliminates all those features, with the $60 fee balancing the lost income. It is available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and is offered at no cost on Linux, appealing to the open-source community.

On a different note, Mozilla is adopting a more subtle approach. Project Nova, the first significant redesign of Firefox since 2021, will include a single toggle in Settings that disables all current and future AI features simultaneously. This redesign is anticipated to launch later this year.

Nonetheless, Mozilla is not abandoning AI, as its free built-in VPN and summarization tools will remain available for users who desire them, framing the "off by default" stance as a competitive edge.

DuckDuckGo's stance on AI is more complex than its extension suggests. The platform still provides Duck.ai, a private chatbot that allows access to GPT-4o mini, Claude 4.5 Haiku, Meta's Llama 4 Scout, and Mistral Small 3 24B for free within daily limits, with premium plans offering Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5.2, and—at the highest tier—Claude Opus.

Additionally, DuckAssist offers AI-generated search summaries. The description on the extension's Chrome listing—"AI should be optional"—reflects both a product philosophy and an acknowledgment that DuckDuckGo provides ample AI options to opt out of.

Ultimately, what these three companies are marketing, in various forms, is the ability to use software that does not presume you want AI features.