Farewell, Jeeves: Ask.com shuts down
Ask.com, originally known as Ask Jeeves, has officially shut down as of May 1, 2026, after 25 years of operation. Launched in 1996, it was an early pioneer in natural language search and question-answering systems. The closure reflects IAC's strategic shift, as the company acknowledged years ago that Ask.com was not competitive with major search engines like Google.
- ▪Ask.com, formerly Ask Jeeves, shut down on May 1, 2026, after 25 years of operation.
- ▪The search engine was launched in 1996 with a focus on answering natural language questions, predating modern AI chatbots.
- ▪IAC acquired Ask Jeeves in 2005, rebranded it, and later scaled back its search functions to focus on Q&A.
- ▪In 2010, IAC Chairman Barry Diller stated that Ask.com was not competitive with Google and was not factored into IAC’s stock valuation.
- ▪A message on the website stated that the shutdown is part of IAC’s effort to sharpen its business focus.
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In Brief Posted: 2:11 PM PDT · May 2, 2026 Image Credits:SOPA Images / Getty Images Anthony Ha Farewell, Jeeves: Ask.com shuts down Ask.com, the search engine and question-and-answer service formerly known as Ask Jeeves, has shut down. Ask Jeeves first launched in 1996 and, with its focus on answering conversational questions posed in natural language, was arguably a precursor to today’s AI-powered chatbots. For most of its 30-year history, however, it’s been overshadowed by other search products, especially Google. Holding company IAC acquired Ask Jeeves in 2005, quickly dropped “Jeeves” from the name, and by 2010 had scaled back its search product to refocus on Q&A.
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