---
title: "Escape from AI: DuckDuckGo gives users a button to 'turn off the neural network' in Chrome and Firefox"
description: "DuckDuckGo has released extensions for Chrome and Firefox with a 'turn off AI' button 🔌. This is a response to the aggressive integration of neural networks into Google Search: traffic for 'clean' search has tripled in a week 📈. Now users decide for themselves whether to chat with a bot or search for links 🤖❌."
date: 2026-06-02T11:21:46.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/duckduckgo-gives-users-a-button-to-turn-off-ai-in-chrome-and-firefox
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Escape from AI: DuckDuckGo gives users a button to 'turn off the neural network' in Chrome and Firefox

![Article headline on Habr about DuckDuckGo and the AI disable button in Chrome and Firefox browsers](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/02/duckduckgo-vypustil-knopku-vyklyuchit-ii-v-chrome-i-firefox/duckduckgo-vypustil-knopku-vyklyuchit-ii-v-chrome-i-firefox-1.webp)

The search engine DuckDuckGo has officially launched its "escape from AI" initiative, providing users with a convenient tool to disable AI-generated answers. The company has released browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox that allow users to set a version of the search engine without artificial intelligence as their default.

### New standard: search without bots

The essence of the innovation is simple: after installing the extension, the user is directed to a special page, noai.duckduckgo.com. According to the developers, this page does not contain AI-generated answers, there are no intrusive invitations to chat with bots, and there are significantly fewer images created by neural networks. This solution allows users to return to the familiar search format, where links to sources take precedence over generalized algorithmic answers.

This move is a direct response to Google Search's restructuring in May. At its developer conference, Google presented its most significant update in 25 years: the system now redirects users to AI overviews by default, capable of building graphs and launching mini-apps. The famous "10 blue links" have been pushed down the page, effectively becoming a secondary element of the interface.

### Mass exodus and statistics

Not all users were satisfied with AI becoming the default behavior. A portion of the audience began migrating en masse to alternative search engines, such as DuckDuckGo and Kaigi. Statistics confirm this trend:

    - In just 28 May, traffic to no-AI search pages tripled, showing a new high since the announcement of Google's updates.

    - Visits remain on average 84% higher than the baseline, indicating a sustainable shift rather than a one-time reaction.

    - The weekly growth in visits to the no-AI page was about 30%.

    - In the US, the number of DuckDuckGo app installations increased by 18.1%, and on the iOS platform, the peak weekly growth reached almost 70%.

### One-click tool

DuckDuckGo is not stopping at releasing a separate extension. The company plans to update its long-standing Privacy Essentials products for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera. These will include controls for AI search settings. Thus, opting out of artificial intelligence is transformed from a manual setup into a ready-made tool that can be activated with a single click.

It is important to note that DuckDuckGo does not position itself as a radical opponent of technology. The company has its own chatbot with access to popular models, as well as a paid subscription that unlocks access to fresh algorithms and additional services, such as VPN and personal data protection. The main idea of the innovation is to give the user the right to choose: to decide for themselves how much AI they need, rather than receiving it by force.