DuckDuckGo Search Traffic Spikes As Users Flip Google AI Search The Bird

Google's I/O keynote spurred much discussion, though perhaps not entirely in the way the company hoped. During its I/O event, Google unveiled a reworked search experience packed with generative AI, replacing standard autocomplete with AI-driven suggestions, adding conversational follow-up questions, and connecting search results to Gmail and Google Photos through a feature called Personal Intelligence.

The update also introduces autonomous Search Agents that can handle tasks on someone’s behalf. Google is clearly going all-in on AI, but many users want nothing to do with it, and as a result they are heading to DuckDuckGo as an AI-free search alternative.

DuckDuckGo says traffic to its No AI search page more than tripled in the days following Google's announcement, and it's still climbing. Daily visits to the page have been about 84% above normal since the May 19 keynote.

Going No AI Mode

DuckDuckGo's No AI mode removes AI-generated answers, eliminates the chat interface, and filters out AI-generated images from search results. The company has its own AI tools as well, but they are all switched off when you use No AI mode.


Users can already set DuckDuckGo as their default search engine on Apple devices, though iOS and macOS do not currently offer a built-in way to send someone directly to the No AI page. DuckDuckGo is working around that with browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox that set No AI as the default search experience. The company also plans to add that option to its existing extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera.

Turning Off AI in the Mobile App

For those who use DuckDuckGo's mobile browser on iOS or Android, switching off the AI features takes about thirty seconds. Open the app and tap the three-line menu in the top-right corner on Android or the bottom-right on iOS. Tap the Settings gear near the top, scroll to Other Settings, and tap AI Features. From there users can disable the Duck.ai chatbot completely, and also set the app to open with a plain search interface every time, so they never land on the AI screen by default.

DuckDuckGo's search engine and browser are free. The company makes money by showing private ads tied to search keywords rather than tracking users across the web or selling location data, which is a meaningful distinction as Google continues expanding what data it collects through its AI products. For users who want an extra layer of protection, DuckDuckGo also offers a paid VPN at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year that encrypts your connection and keeps traffic private on public Wi-Fi. New subscribers can check out the paid plan for 7 days free.