Google Being Abandoned as Users Massively Migrate to Alternatives

Major overhauls to Google’s AI-based services have triggered a backlash from some users. Instead of welcoming these new features, a number of users are choosing to switch to DuckDuckGo, which offers search options without AI integration.

During the annual Google I/O developer conference, Google announced the transformation of its Search service to be more conversation-based. Through features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, users can receive direct answers from AI and ask follow-up questions without needing to click through multiple links. However, this move has drawn criticism. Critics argue that AI features could diminish the role of the open web, display inaccurate information, and complicate simple tasks for users who prefer traditional search methods.

As criticism of Google mounts, DuckDuckGo has begun recording a surge in users. The company reported that app installations in the United Kingdom and the United States rose by an average of 18.1% weekly during the period of 20-25 May compared to 13-18 May. This growth continued for six consecutive days, peaking at 30.5% on 25 May. For iOS users specifically, average installation growth reached 33%, with peaks as high as 69.9%.

Furthermore, visits to DuckDuckGo’s AI-free search page, noai.duckduckgo.com, increased by an average of 22.7% weekly, reaching a peak of 27.7% on 24 May. This page disables all AI features by default, including AI-based answers and generative AI images.

According to DuckDuckGo, the strongest trend of user migration is occurring in the United States. Even during the Memorial Day holiday, when traffic typically declines, the company recorded user growth. These findings are supported by app analytics firm Apptopia, which found that daily downloads for DuckDuckGo increased by 29% in the US and 12% globally during the same period.

While serving as a destination for those wishing to avoid AI in search, DuckDuckGo does possess its own AI service called Duck.ai. The platform provides free access to several AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini, Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Haiku, Meta’s Llama 3, and Mistral’s Small 24B. The company emphasises that all user conversations remain private, as IP addresses are removed before requests are sent to AI model providers, conversations are deleted within 30 days, and data is not used to train AI models.

“We do not only respect user choice, but also user privacy. Everything you do on DuckDuckGo is private. We do not collect search history or conversations, and nothing is used for AI training,” stated DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg, as quoted by TechCrunch.

Meanwhile, DuckDuckGo’s Chief Communications and Policy Officer, Kamyl Bazbaz, noted that the company’s existing AI features remain among the most popular among users. “People just want to have a choice,” said Bazbaz.