this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2026
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[–] zikzak025@lemmy.world 14 points 22 hours ago (6 children)

That'd be my guess.

I have never once went out of my way to use Gemini, for example, but having it appear in every other Google search with some lying bullshit to spread is probably driving up their engagement numbers.

I really should stop using Google. But can't use DDG either because they just use Bing and their own AI service as well, and so does Kagi.

[–] CoyoteFacts@piefed.ca 16 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

If it helps, you can use https://noai.duckduckgo.com/ to stop the auto-AI inserts.

[–] zikzak025@lemmy.world -2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah but you can do the same with Google as well (just can't be arsed to change the search settings on my work PC), it's the principle of the thing.

[–] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 12 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

So you can’t be arsed to live up to your own principles?

[–] zikzak025@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago)

I can't be arsed to keep up with changing the config of the browser I didn't choose every time the device updates with new admin-defined settings. That's all.

On my personal device I still use Google right now for consistency/because change is hard, but I set the default behavior in Firefox to exclude AI results.

I'd just prefer to use/support a search engine that abstains from AI entirely, regardless of whether or not you can turn it off. I don't want to be a happy customer of companies that still try to weasel that stuff in, because they won't stop at a toggle. They never do.

[–] Raglan@piefed.social 8 points 21 hours ago

image you can turn off ai and block ai content in ddg settings.

[–] blitzen@lemmy.ca 6 points 21 hours ago

Kagi AI is opt-in. As in, you don’t go out of your way to use it, you won’t.

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 20 hours ago

DDG uses its own basket of search indexes, Bing is now under 10% or so of total index usage in the big 26. Also yeah, noai ddg is awesome.

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 2 points 20 hours ago

Kagi has AI features, but I've only ever seen them in the settings. They have never once pushed me to use them. Which is good, as that would be pretty much a dealbreaker.