Private search engine DuckDuckGo is expanding its use of generative AI, offering a chatbot-style interface called Duck.ai. Users can access various AI models developed by companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta through this interface. The service is now exiting beta and has been simplified to the name Duck.ai.
Users can engage with AI models in a conversational style, receiving AI-generated answers to their search queries. Recent additions include OpenAI’s o3-mini, Meta’s Llama 3.3, and Mistral’s Small 3. Access to Duck.ai is currently free, but there is a daily limit on queries.
The company is also integrating generative AI into its conventional search engine interface, showing AI-assisted answers in response to search queries more frequently. Users can choose the frequency of AI-generated answers, opting for “sometimes,” “often,” or “never.”
DuckDuckGo aims to capitalize on the growing popularity of GenAI, offering users reduced privacy risks since they don’t need to sign up for an account with a major AI provider. The company’s core privacy pledge is seen as a key selling point.
The Duck.ai interface allows users to easily switch between conventional search and AI chat modes, using a chat button displayed below the search box. Users can also choose to disable storage of their chats locally on their device or opt for more advanced models with higher query limits for a paid plan.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/06/duckduckgo-leans-further-into-genai-as-its-ai-chat-interface-exits-beta