DuckDuckGo has expanded its AI search capabilities, taking its AI-generated answers beyond Wikipedia to source information from across the web. The company’s AI-assisted search, introduced in 2023, has now exited beta, offering concise responses that users can control or disable. Currently, AI-generated answers appear in about 20 percent of searches, though DuckDuckGo aims to increase this gradually while maintaining accuracy. The AI chatbot, Duck.ai, has also left beta and allows users to interact with various AI models, including GPT-4o mini, Llama 3.3, and Claude 3 Haiku, all while ensuring anonymity by hiding IP addresses and preventing data usage for AI training.
Duck.ai introduces a Recent Chats feature that stores past interactions locally on the user’s device instead of DuckDuckGo’s servers, reinforcing its privacy-first approach. In the coming weeks, the chatbot will integrate web search, improving its ability to answer user queries. Additionally, new features like voice interaction on mobile devices and image uploads for analysis are in development. While Duck.ai will remain free, DuckDuckGo is considering offering access to more advanced AI models through a $9.99 monthly subscription.
Unlike other tech giants like OpenAI and Google, DuckDuckGo has no plans to launch a separate AI app. CEO Gabriel Weinberg believes that seamlessly integrating search and chat in a single application provides a better user experience. Users can access Duck.ai via the Duck.ai website or the DuckDuckGo browser, where AI-assisted answers are also available. With these improvements, DuckDuckGo aims to balance AI advancements with its commitment to user privacy, offering a secure and efficient way to interact with AI-driven search tools.
