DuckDuckGo has exited beta for its AI chat interface Duck.ai, expanding its generative AI capabilities in response to market trends, while also integrating AI into its conventional search engine.
New features of Duck.ai
Duck.ai, previously called DuckDuckGo AI Chat, allows users to interact with AI models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta through a chatbot-style interface. This service now offers AI-generated answers to search queries instead of traditional hyperlink lists. Users can access this service at Duck.ai.
DuckDuckGo has added new AI models, including OpenAI’s o3-mini, Meta’s Llama 3.3, and Mistral’s Small 3. While currently free to use, DuckDuckGo has indicated it may introduce a paid plan for users seeking higher daily query limits and access to advanced chat models.
In addition to Duck.ai, DuckDuckGo is increasing the use of generative AI in its main search engine available at duck.com and duckduckgo.com. The search engine now features AI-assisted answers that can appear above standard search results in response to queries. DuckDuckGo reports that AI-assisted answers are served millions of times daily, with the potential to appear over 20% of the time for users who choose to show them often.
DuckDuckGo allows users to control the frequency of AI-generated answers, offering options to display them “often,” “sometimes,” “on-demand,” or “never,” with “sometimes” set as the default.
Data privacy and user control
The company emphasizes user privacy, stating that Duck.ai strips personal metadata from chatbot chats and stores recent conversations locally on users’ devices, while providing safeguards against misuse of data. Agreements are in place with AI model providers to limit data use for training and ensure chat data is deleted within 30 days.
DuckDuckGo has also introduced an AI-powered answer feature called Assist, which has expanded from sourcing answers mainly from Wikipedia to pulling from various web sources. Users can disable storage of their chats or control the visibility of answers provided by Assist.
DuckDuckGo’s initiative aligns with broader trends in the market as competitors, notably Google, enhance their search capabilities using generative AI. Google has integrated AI responses into search results, introducing an AI Mode that favors AI summaries over traditional links.
Despite the advancements, concerns regarding accuracy remain. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University, has cautioned that AI-generated answers, while possibly correct, may also reinforce biases and depend on incomplete data. DuckDuckGo acknowledges the possibility of errors in AI answers and displays sources alongside Assist responses as a precaution.
Users can engage with DuckDuckGo’s new features within the browser or access the chatbot via the chat icon, which facilitates a quick transition between traditional search results and AI-generated answers.
DuckDuckGo promotes the notion that its users can access leading generative AI tools without being tracked, highlighting its commitment to privacy. The chat experiences are positioned as optional, allowing users the freedom to disable features as needed.
Featured image credit: DuckDuckGo
