tech
Some users may be giving Google's AI search the bird, and DuckDuckGo is benefiting
DuckDuckGo says installs surged after Google's AI search overhaul, hinting some users may want less AI in search.
TL;DR
- DuckDuckGo experienced a surge in US installs following Google's AI search overhaul announcement.
- US installs for DuckDuckGo rose by an average of 20.8% in the week after Google's May 19 announcements.
- On iOS in the US, installs climbed an average of 33% during the same period.
- Visits to DuckDuckGo's noai.duckduckgo.com page, which disables AI features, also increased.
- DuckDuckGo executives cited user pushback against Google's AI integration as a potential reason for the surge.
- Google's redesigned Search integrates AI features more deeply, allowing conversational questions and AI-generated suggestions.