DuckDuckGo is leaning into growing frustration around AI-powered search with new browser extensions that let users set its no-AI search page as their default search engine.
The alternative search engine says the extensions direct users to noai.duckduckgo.com, where search results do not include AI-assisted answers, chat prompts, or as many AI-generated images. The new extensions are currently available for Chrome and Firefox users. People using DuckDuckGo’s own browser already have their AI search settings preserved, even if they clear their browsing history.
The company says the goal is to give users a more consistent AI-free search experience at a time when major search engines are pushing AI more aggressively. That shift became more visible after Google announced a major AI-first redesign of its search engine at its developer conference earlier in May.
Since then, DuckDuckGo says traffic to its no-AI search page has been rising sharply. Last week, the company said visits to the page were up nearly 30 percent week over week. Its U.S. app installs also increased 18.1 percent week over week, while iOS app installs in the U.S. peaked at 69.9 percent growth.
The growth followed Google’s announcement of one of the biggest changes to its search engine in more than 25 years. Instead of placing traditional links at the top of search results, Google is now giving more space to AI-generated overviews. These AI results are becoming more interactive and can create visualizations, charts, graphs, and even small apps when needed. Follow-up questions from AI Overviews also push users toward Google’s AI Mode chat experience.
For users who still prefer the older search experience built around regular web links, that change has made alternatives like DuckDuckGo and Kagi more appealing.
DuckDuckGo says traffic to its no-AI search page reached a new high on Thursday, May 28, 2026, climbing three times higher than usual after Google’s search announcement. The company says the increase has not come in short bursts either, with visits averaging about 84 percent above the baseline, suggesting more people are actively looking for search without AI features.
Along with the new no-AI search extensions for Chrome and Firefox, DuckDuckGo says it will soon update its original DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera with controls for AI search settings.
However, DuckDuckGo is not positioning itself as an anti-AI company. It still offers its own AI chatbot with access to several popular models, as well as a subscription plan that includes newer AI models and tools such as a VPN, identity theft restoration, and personal information removal services.
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