DuckDuckGo Gains Users as Frustration Grows Over Google AI Search

Google’s latest push into AI-powered search is pushing some users to look elsewhere — and DuckDuckGo appears to be one of the biggest winners so far.

Following Google’s major Search overhaul announcement at its annual I/O developer conference, downloads of the privacy-focused search engine surged as users reacted against what many see as an increasingly AI-heavy internet experience.

At the event, Google revealed plans to transform Search into a more conversational platform. Instead of mainly showing a list of website links, the company is expanding its AI Overviews feature, allowing Search to directly answer questions, predict user intent, and support follow-up conversations through a new AI Mode.

While Google clarified that AI Overviews have already existed for around two years and that AI Mode is not enabled by default, criticism quickly spread online.

Some users argued the changes make Search unnecessarily complicated, while others worried AI-generated summaries could provide inaccurate information or reduce traffic to websites across the open web. For many, the biggest complaint was simple: they don’t want AI integrated into every search experience.

That frustration appears to be benefiting DuckDuckGo.

DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg criticized Google’s direction, saying users are being “force-fed AI” without a proper way to completely opt out.

“As a result, their results are getting worse, not better,” Weinberg said in a statement. “We want to be the place that puts users in charge and allows them to decide how much or how little AI they want.”

The company says user interest has risen sharply since Google’s announcement. According to DuckDuckGo, app installs in the United States increased an average of 18.1% week-over-week between May 20 and May 25 compared to the previous week. Growth continued for six straight days and reached a peak increase of 30.5% on May 25.

The momentum was even stronger on iOS devices, where installs climbed by an average of 33%, with peak growth hitting nearly 70%.

DuckDuckGo also reported rising traffic to its AI-free search page, noai.duckduckgo.com, which disables AI-generated answers and AI-created images by default. Visits to the page reportedly grew an average of 22.7% week-over-week, peaking at 27.7% on May 24.

The trend was strongest in the United States, according to the company, and continued even during the Memorial Day holiday weekend — a period when search traffic typically slows down.

Third-party data appears to support those claims. App analytics firm Apptopia reported a 29% increase in average daily downloads for DuckDuckGo in the U.S. during the same timeframe, along with a 12% rise globally.

Despite attracting users looking for less AI, DuckDuckGo has not completely avoided the technology itself.

The company operates its own AI platform called Duck.ai, which allows users to access models from companies including Anthropic, Meta, Mistral AI, and OpenAI without needing an account.

DuckDuckGo says privacy remains the key difference. The company claims it removes users’ IP addresses before requests reach AI providers, deletes chats within 30 days, and does not use conversations for AI model training.

“Not only do we respect user choice, but also user privacy,” Weinberg said. “Everything you do in DuckDuckGo is private.”

Interestingly, DuckDuckGo’s own AI tools are still proving popular among users. Features such as Search Assist — similar to Google’s AI-generated summaries — and its AI Image Filter are among the platform’s most used tools.

According to DuckDuckGo communications chief Kamyl Bazbaz, the growing trend highlights one thing above all else: users simply want control over how AI is used in their online experience.

Meanwhile, Google continues to defend its AI strategy. The company pointed to comments from Search VP Elizabeth Reid, who recently said AI-powered search experiences now reach more than one billion monthly users, with usage continuing to grow rapidly each quarter.

The original report was later updated to include additional analytics data from Apptopia and comments from Google regarding its search changes.

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