DuckDuckGo search saw 28% more visits after Google said people love AI mode

Following Google CEO Sundar Pichai's claim that people love AI mode in Google Search, DuckDuckGo's AI-free search page experienced a significant surge in traffic, with visits increasing by nearly 28% during the week of May 20-25, 2026. The DuckDuckGo mobile app also saw substantial growth, with US installs rising 18.1% and iOS installs jumping 33% during the same period. DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg attributed the growth to user frustration with Google's mandatory AI integration, positioning DuckDuckGo as an alternative that gives users control over their search experience.