As its traffic continues to rise, alternative search engine DuckDuckGo is leaning into anti-AI sentiment with the launch of new browser extensions that allow users to set its no-AI search experience, noai.duckduckgo.com, as their default search engine.
Once enabled, users will be directed to DuckDuckGo’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. The extensions are currently available for Chrome and Firefox users. Meanwhile, people who have switched to the DuckDuckGo web browser already have their AI settings preserved even if they clear their browsing history.
The company says the extensions are meant to help people have a consistent AI-free search experience — something that’s harder to find these days, especially after Google announced its AI-first revamp of its search engine at its developer conference earlier in May.
Since then, traffic to DuckDuckGo has boomed. Last week, the company noted that web visits to its no-AI search site were up nearly 30% week-over-week, and its US app installs were also up 18.1% week-over-week, with US iOS app installs topping out at 69.9% week-over-week growth.
These trends followed news that Google was overhauling its search box in the biggest change to its search engine in more than 25 years. Now, instead of returning links at the top of the page, Google will prefer to send users into AI-generated search listings, which will be more interactive experiences capable of creating visualizations, charts, graphs or even mini-apps as needed. Follow-up questions from AI Overviews will push users into an AI Mode chat experience. The traditional “10 blue links” that defined Google in its earlier days are more of an afterthought that appears beneath all this AI-powered productivity.
But not everyone is on board with having AI by default, which is why some are switching to alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo, Kagi and others.
DuckDuckGo says traffic to its no-AI search site tripled on Thursday, May 28, 2026 — a new high-water mark since Google’s search announcement — and the numbers are still rising. Growth will not peak either, the company points out. Instead, visits are averaging around 84% above baseline, suggesting a more sustained shift.
In addition to the new “no AI” search Chrome and Firefox extensions, DuckDuckGo will soon update its original DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Opera to also offer control for AI search settings.
It’s worth noting that DuckDuckGo is not an anti-AI company. The company still offers its own AI chatbot with access to many popular models and a subscription plan that gives access to the latest models and other tools, such as a VPN service, identity theft recovery and personal information removal services.
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