'Google is force-feeding AI with no way to opt ': DuckDuckGo CEO says installs are surging after Google I/O
DuckDuckGo has reported a surge in installs following Google's AI-focused announcements at Google I/O 2026. The privacy-centric search engine noted a significant increase in U.S. installs, particularly among users seeking alternatives to AI-generated search results. This trend highlights a growing backlash against AI integration in search engines.
- ▪DuckDuckGo saw a week-over-week increase of 18.1% in U.S. installs between May 20 and May 25.
- ▪iOS growth for DuckDuckGo was even stronger, averaging 33% week-over-week and peaking at nearly 70% on May 25.
- ▪Visits to DuckDuckGo's noai.duckduckgo.com, which disables AI features, rose an average of 22.7% week-over-week.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
AI 'Google is force-feeding AI with no way to opt ': DuckDuckGo CEO says installs are surging after Google I/O News By Amanda Caswell published 26 May 2026 The backlash against AI search might finally be starting When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Google spent much of Google I/O 2026 making it clear that AI is now the future of search.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Tom's Guide.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Tom's Guide
