DuckDuckGo traffic up 30% as users flee Google's AI search
duckduckgo launched 'no ai' extensions as traffic to its ai-free search page jumped 30%, signaling user backlash against google's forced integration of generative ai.
following google's decision to overhaul its search engine with ai-generated overviews, duckduckgo reported a 30% week-over-week increase in traffic to its 'no ai' search page and an 84% sustained lift above baseline. to capitalize on this, the company launched browser extensions for chrome and firefox that lock the default search provider to its ai-free experience, excluding chat prompts and generated answers. although duckduckgo still operates its own ai chat service, this move targets users seeking to avoid the 'ai-first' approach now dominating the industry. the sustained traffic growth indicates a durable shift in user preference away from ai-heavy interfaces.