May 28, 2026, 12:41 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Until now, the norm was: If you’re searching for something online, you go through Google. Its search engine quickly established itself as the dominant market leader, around which a comprehensive traffic economy on the web developed. With the increasing spread of artificial intelligence in the daily lives of many people, the company faces new challenges. However, its recently introduced AI innovations are meeting with considerable rejection. Currently, DuckDuckGo is benefiting from this.
DuckDuckGo Gains Many New Users
As reported by “TechCrunch,” the number of app installations for the alternative search engine in the U.S. has rapidly increased in a short time. From May 20 to 25, they rose by a total of 18.1 percent, reaching a peak of 30.5 percent.
Looking only at iOS, the numbers are even more impressive: During the same period, downloads increased by 33 percent, with a peak of 69.9 percent. Traffic on the search engine’s website also noticeably increased, with an average growth of 22.7 percent.
But why is there such a significant influx of new users to DuckDuckGo right now? The answer lies with Google.
Why Google’s AI Plans Could Mean the End for Traditional Search
Set Up Google Search Without AI
Google Innovations Drive Users Away
Recently, the Google I/O, the company’s own developer conference, took place. Among many innovations, the company also introduced AI-powered updates for search. These are intended to bring overviews more to the forefront and answer queries faster. The classic search with an overview of links is thus facing extinction or at least being pushed back.
Many see this as a threat to the open internet and fear numerous false or inaccurate answers. Additionally, there is an impression that Google is practically forcing users to adopt AI products and results, as DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg also noted.
At DuckDuckGo, however, it is standard to search “privately without AI,” as stated directly on the search engine. AI-powered answers and AI-generated images are also disabled or removed from the outset.
DuckDuckGo Is Not a Data Monster
DuckDuckGo also offers its own AI product called Duck.ai, which provides access to various models. However, no user account is necessary for this. All chats are private, and conversations are deleted within 30 days. Search histories are not collected, and no usage data is fed into AI training.
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To be fair, there are also options at Google to disable AI-powered search. Furthermore, there is even a so-called “retro” version of Google. According to a statement, the AI mode is also continuously increasing in use and thus considered a success.