DuckDuckGo launched No-AI Search extensions for Chrome and Firefox on June 1, offering users an AI-free search experience through its noai.duckduckgo.com subdomain. The launch followed Google's announcement at I/O earlier in May of what it called 'the biggest upgrade to its Search box in over 25 years,' which replaced traditional blue links with AI agents and conversational summaries. Visits to DuckDuckGo's AI-free search page tripled after Google's announcement and have remained 84% above baseline, while U.S. app installs jumped to record numbers, with iOS installs peaking at 69.9% on a single day between May 20 and May 25.
DuckDuckGo No-AI Search Extension Removes AI Features
The DuckDuckGo No-AI Search extension sets the default search engine to noai.duckduckgo.com, removing AI-generated image results, AI Assist summaries, and features added in the past two years while maintaining the same search index and interface. Users who want to toggle individual AI features can use DuckDuckGo's Privacy Essentials extension, which also blocks trackers.
DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg stated, 'Google is force-feeding AI with no way to opt out. As a result, their results are getting worse, not better. We want to be the place that puts users in charge and allows them to decide how much or how little AI they want.'
Traffic to noai.duckduckgo.com Tripled After Google I/O
Traffic to noai.duckduckgo.com reached a new record on May 28, tripling from baseline levels, and has averaged 84% above normal baseline since then. DuckDuckGo app installs in the U.S. increased 18.1% week-over-week on average between May 20 and May 25, with iOS installs peaking at 69.9% on a single day during that period.
The official DuckDuckGo account tweeted on May 29, 'Since Google revealed its plans for an AI search overhaul, visits to our "No AI" search page have tripled…and they're still rising!'
Brave and Mozilla Launch Anti-AI Products
Brave launched Brave Origin in April, a $59.99 one-time purchase that removes the Leo AI assistant, crypto wallet, Brave Rewards, VPN, telemetry, and Brave News, leaving only ad blocking and Brave Shields. Brave CTO Brian Bondy acknowledged that the $60 fee compensates for lost revenue from removed features. The product is available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, and is free on Linux.
Mozilla's Project Nova, Firefox's first major redesign since 2021, will include a Settings toggle that disables every current and future AI feature at once. The redesign is expected to roll out later this year. Mozilla's free built-in VPN and summarization tools remain available for users who want them.
DuckDuckGo Maintains Duck.ai Chatbot Alongside No-AI Option
DuckDuckGo still offers Duck.ai, a private chatbot with access to GPT-4o mini, Claude 4.5 Haiku, Meta's Llama 4 Scout, and Mistral Small 3 24B for free within daily limits. Premium plans unlock Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5.2, and Claude Opus on the top tier. The company also built DuckAssist for AI-generated search summaries. The Chrome extension listing states 'AI should be optional.'
FAQ
What did DuckDuckGo launch on June 1?
DuckDuckGo launched No-AI Search extensions for Chrome and Firefox on June 1, setting the default search engine to noai.duckduckgo.com, which removes AI-generated image results, AI Assist summaries, and other AI features while maintaining the same search index and interface.
How much did traffic to noai.duckduckgo.com increase after Google's I/O announcement?
Traffic to noai.duckduckgo.com tripled on May 28 following Google's I/O announcement and has averaged 84% above baseline since then. U.S. app installs increased 18.1% week-over-week on average between May 20 and May 25, with iOS installs peaking at 69.9% on a single day during that period.
