DuckDuckgoGo makes its “AI-free” search engine easier to access as its traffic explodes

As traffic continues to grow, alternative search engine DuckDuckGo is leaning into anti-AI sentiment by launching a new browser extension that allows users to set noai.duckduckgo.com, an AI-free search experience, as their default search engine.

Once activated, users will be taken to DuckDuckGo's AI-free search page, with no AI-assisted answers, no chat messages, and fewer AI images in search results, the company claims. The extension is currently available for Chrome and Firefox users. Meanwhile, people who switched to the DuckDuckGo web browser already have their AI settings preserved even if they delete their browser history.

The company says the extension is intended to help people have a consistent AI-free search experience. This has become especially difficult since Google announced an AI-first overhaul of its search engine at its developer conference in early May.

Since then, traffic to DuckDuckGo has been skyrocketing. Last week, the company said web visits to its non-AI search pages were up nearly 30% week over week, US app installs were up 18.1% week over week, and US iOS app installs were up 69.9% week over week, hitting a new high.

This trend follows news that Google is overhauling its search box in the biggest change to its search engine in 25 years. Instead of returning a link at the top of the page, Google will now prefer to send users to an AI-generated search overview. This is becoming a more interactive experience where you can create visualizations, charts, graphs or even mini apps as needed. Follow-up questions from the AI ​​overview guide users into the AI ​​mode chat experience. The traditional “10 blue links” that defined Google in its early days are more of an afterthought beneath AI-driven productivity.

However, not everyone agrees to make AI the default, so some are turning to alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo, Kagi, etc.

DuckDuckGo reports that traffic to its AI-free search pages tripled on Thursday, May 28, 2026. This is a new high since Google announced Search, and the numbers are still growing. The company points out that growth does not occur hastily. Instead, the number of visits averaged about 84% higher than baseline, suggesting a more persistent change.

In addition to the new "No AI" search Chrome and Firefox extensions, DuckDuckGo will soon update its original DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera to also provide control over AI search settings.

It's worth noting that DuckDuckGo is not an anti-AI company. The company still offers its own AI chatbot, which gives you access to many of its popular models, as well as subscription plans that give you access to the latest models and other tools like VPN services, identity theft restoration, and personal information removal services.