DuckDuckGo Sees Surge in Installs as Users Reject Google’s AI Search Features

Google’s latest search overhaul is already driving some users toward alternatives, with DuckDuckGo reporting a surge in installs as people react to the company’s expanded AI features. The shift comes after Google rolled out a new AI-powered search experience built around Gemini 3.5 Flash, a change that has drawn public pushback and sparked viral attempts to “bait” Google’s AI answers into showing mistakes.

According to Business Insider, DuckDuckGo said installs jumped after Google’s AI search changes, suggesting that at least some users are looking for a search engine with less AI involvement. Fast Company reported that Google’s overhaul has become a target on social media, where users have been posting queries designed to expose errors or awkward responses from the company’s AI Overview feature.

The controversy centers on Google’s move away from a traditional list of web links toward an interactive AI Mode that generates answers and follow-up prompts. Google announced the new setup at its I/O developer conference on May 19, when it said Gemini 3.5 Flash would become the default model for the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search globally. Google also described the model as a major upgrade and said it is designed for stronger agent-style tasks, where the system can carry out more complex, multi-step work.

That change appears to have given rivals an opening. Fast Company reported that a Google alternative with a “No AI” option has seen search visits rise by double digits, as users looking for more conventional search results explore alternatives. DuckDuckGo has long marketed itself as a privacy-focused search engine, and the recent traffic gains indicate that resistance to AI-heavy search may now be translating into measurable user interest.

The backlash is notable because Google’s AI features are being pushed into one of the company’s most important products, and search remains central to how people find information online. Critics of AI search have argued that generated answers can be unreliable, overly assertive or detached from source material, while supporters say the tools can save time and summarize complex topics more efficiently. The social media trolling highlighted by Fast Company suggests that, for some users, the debate has become as much about trust as about technology.

For Google, the response matters because search ads and user engagement are core to its business. If users begin sampling competitors in meaningful numbers, even briefly, that could sharpen pressure on Google to make its AI results more accurate and transparent. For DuckDuckGo and other rivals, the moment offers a rare chance to attract searchers who want a simpler experience and less automated mediation between query and source.