A Shift in Search Behavior

Last week, following Google’s sweeping overhaul of its search engine, a simple overheard comment captured a growing sentiment: “Google just isn’t Google anymore.” The woman on the phone was switching to DuckDuckGo because she could “opt out of using AI.” It turns out she wasn’t alone. Millions of users are now reconsidering their default search engine in the wake of Google’s aggressive integration of artificial intelligence into its core product.

At its annual I/O developer conference, Google announced that its search box would be transformed into a conversational engine capable of expanding for longer queries, anticipating user intent, and autocompleting searches. Instead of simply returning a list of blue links, Google now prioritizes AI Overviews—generated summaries that attempt to answer questions directly. The company also introduced a more seamless AI Mode, allowing users to ask follow-up questions within these overviews.

While a Google spokesperson noted that AI Overviews have existed for two years and that AI Mode is not the default, the backlash has been swift and sharp. Critics argue that this shift will kill the open web, surface inaccurate responses, and remove user control. Even simple searches—like typing the word “disregard”—have become unnecessarily complicated.

DuckDuckGo’s Opportunity

In response to these changes, many users have begun defecting to DuckDuckGo, a privacy-focused alternative that has historically struggled to break past Google’s near-monopoly. DuckDuckGo currently accounts for only about 2% of the U.S. search market, but that number is rising. The company reported that U.S. app installs increased by an average of 18.1% week-over-week during the May 20 to May 25 period, compared to the previous week. The growth peaked at 30.5% on May 25. On iOS, the rate was even higher, with week-over-week growth averaging 33% and peaking at 69.9%.

This surge is being driven by users who want to avoid AI-generated search results. DuckDuckGo’s dedicated AI-free search page, noai.duckduckgo.com, also saw a 22.7% average week-over-week growth in visits, peaking at 27.7% on May 24. That page turns off every AI feature—including AI-assisted answers and AI-generated images—by default. (A spokesperson noted that Google offers a web filter for users who only want to see blue links, but it is not the default setting.)

Third-party data confirms the trend. App analytics company Apptopia found a 29% increase in average daily downloads in the U.S. and a 12% increase globally over the same period.

Why Users Are Leaving Google

The backlash against Google’s AI overhaul is multifaceted. Some users are concerned about privacy: AI models often require vast amounts of data to function, and many people are uncomfortable with their search queries being used to train those models. Others object to the erosion of user choice. 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.”

There are also worries about accuracy. AI Overviews have been known to produce hallucinated or misleading answers, and users who rely on them for critical information may be misled. Additionally, the shift toward answer-driven search reduces traffic to original sources, which could harm publishers and content creators in the long term.

DuckDuckGo’s Privacy-First Approach

DuckDuckGo has long marketed itself as the antithesis of Google’s data-driven model. The search engine does not collect or store personal information, does not track users across the web, and does not create filter bubbles. Its business model is based on non-personalized ads, funded by search keywords rather than user profiles.

Interestingly, DuckDuckGo does offer its own AI product, called Duck.ai. This service provides free access to models including Anthropic’s Claude 4.5 Haiku, Meta’s Llama 4 Scout, Mistral’s Small 3 24B, and OpenAI’s GPT-5 mini. However, it does so with privacy guarantees: IP addresses are stripped before requests reach model providers, conversations are deleted within 30 days, and chats are never used for training. DuckDuckGo also offers Search Assist, a feature akin to Google’s AI Overviews, and an AI Image Filter that can remove AI-generated images from search results.

Kamyl Bazbaz, DuckDuckGo’s chief communications and policy officer, noted that both of these AI features are among the company’s most popular, despite their differing ethos. “People just want a choice,” he said.

Historical Context and the Antitrust Angle

DuckDuckGo’s current growth is not occurring in a vacuum. The company has been a vocal critic of Google’s market power for years. During Google’s search antitrust trial in 2023, CEO Gabriel Weinberg testified that Google’s exclusive default search contracts harmed DuckDuckGo’s ability to pitch itself as the default on other browsers. Those contracts—worth billions of dollars annually—ensure that Google remains the default search engine on Apple’s Safari, Mozilla’s Firefox, and many Android devices.

The Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google largely focused on these exclusive agreements, arguing that they stifle competition and limit consumer choice. A ruling in that case is expected later this year, and the outcome could have significant implications for the search market. If Google is forced to end its default deals, alternatives like DuckDuckGo could see their market share rise even further.

Google’s Counterargument

Google, for its part, defends its AI integration as a natural evolution of search. The company points to the success of AI Overviews, which it says have surpassed one billion monthly users, with queries more than doubling every quarter since launch. A blog post by VP of search Elizabeth Reid emphasized that AI Overviews provide faster, more comprehensive answers and that users still have the option to click through to traditional links.

Google also notes that its AI Mode is not the default and that users can switch to a web filter to see only blue links. However, critics argue that these options are buried in menus and not obvious to average users, making the AI-first experience effectively mandatory for most.

What This Means for the Future of Search

The surge in DuckDuckGo installations is a clear signal that not all users are ready to embrace an AI-dominated search experience. For many, the appeal of a clean, neutral, and private search engine remains strong. DuckDuckGo’s growth is particularly pronounced on iOS, where Apple’s Safari browser offers users the ability to change their default search engine more easily than on other platforms.

As the debate over AI in search continues, DuckDuckGo is positioning itself as a middle ground: it offers AI features for those who want them, but it also provides a clear path to opt out entirely. This approach resonates with a growing segment of users who value control and privacy over convenience.

Meanwhile, Google is unlikely to reverse course. The company has bet heavily on AI as the future of its products, and it is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure and research. The question is whether the backlash will be loud enough to force changes in how AI is presented—or whether users will simply accept the new normal. For now, DuckDuckGo is capitalizing on the discontent, and its install numbers reflect that reality.

Source: TechCrunch News