News
DuckDuckGo makes its ‘no-AI’ search engine easier to access as its traffic booms
As its traffic continues to climb, alternative search engine DuckDuckGo is leaning into anti-AI sentiment with the launch of new browser extensions that allow users to set its no-AI search experience, noai.duckduckgo.com, as their default search engine.
Once enabled, users will be directed to DuckDuckGo’s AI-free search page, where there are no AI-assisted answers, no chat prompts, and fewer AI images in the search results, the company claims. The extensions are currently available for Chrome and Firefox users. Meanwhile, people who have switched to the DuckDuckGo web browser already have their AI settings preserved, even if they clear their browser history.
The company says the extensions are meant to help people have a consistent AI-free search experience — something that’s harder to come by these days, especially after Google announced its AI-first revamp of its search engine at its developer conference earlier in May.
Since then, traffic to DuckDuckGo has been booming. Last week, the company noted that web visits to its no-AI search page were up nearly 30% week-over-week, and its U.S. app installs were also up 18.1% week-over-week, with U.S. iOS app installs peaking at 69.9% week-over-week growth.
Those trends followed news that Google was overhauling its search box in the biggest change to its search engine in more than 25 years. Now, instead of returning links at the top of the page, Google will favor sending users into AI-generated search overviews, which are becoming more interactive experiences capable of creating visualizations, charts, graphs, or even mini apps, as needed. Follow-up questions from AI Overviews will push users into an AI Mode chat experience. The traditional “10 blue links” that defined Google in its earlier days are more of an afterthought, appearing below all this AI-fueled productivity.
But not everyone is on board with having AI made the default, which is why some are making the move to alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo, Kagi, and others.
DuckDuckGo says traffic to its no-AI search page was up threefold on Thursday, May 28, 2026 — a new high-water mark since Google’s search announcement — and the numbers are still climbing. The growth is not coming in spurts either, the company points out. Instead, visits are averaging roughly 84% above the baseline, suggesting a more sustained shift.
In addition to the new “no AI” search Chrome and Firefox extensions, DuckDuckGo will soon update its original DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera to offer controls for AI search settings, as well.
It’s worth noting that DuckDuckGo isn’t an anti-AI company. The company still offers its own AI chatbot with access to many popular models, and a subscription plan that provides access to the latest models and other tools, like a VPN service, identity theft restoration, and personal information removal services.
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JOS, PLATEAU STATE
September 15, 2026
Alfred Dapal Damiyal (ADD) has been affirmed as the Governorship Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for Plateau State ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with Mwadkon Dung Vincent nominated as his running mate.
The affirmation took place on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the NDC State Secretariat in Jos, where delegates and stakeholders of the party gathered to reaffirm their confidence in Damiyal and his capacity to lead the party into the 2027 governorship contest. The exercise was supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), providing institutional oversight to the process.
During the gathering, Meadkom Dung Vincent was also nominated to serve as Damiyal’s running mate, giving the NDC a clear governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election.
The affirmation marks a significant milestone in Damiyal’s political journey and provides the NDC with a clear standard-bearer and running mate as the party begins to intensify its preparations, mobilisation and engagement with voters across Plateau State.
Damiyal’s emergence is anchored on his NEWTHINKING philosophy, which advocates a new approach to governance based on accountability, transparency, equity, inclusion, innovation, human-centred development and good governance.
His campaign maintains that Plateau State is at a crossroads and requires leadership capable of responding to contemporary challenges with contemporary solutions.
Damiyal has repeatedly emphasised the need for a fundamental change in the approach to governance, stressing that the state cannot make meaningful progress by relying on outdated methods to address modern problems.
“We cannot continue to apply analogue solutions to digital problems if Plateau is to make meaningful progress. We need a new way of thinking if we desire a new Plateau.”
With extensive professional experience in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, alongside his background in entrepreneurship and leadership, Damiyal’s supporters believe he brings a combination of professional experience and fresh ideas to the political contest.
His proposed agenda places strong emphasis on security, education, economic development, employment, agriculture, infrastructure, youth empowerment, innovation and accountable governance.
The NDC candidate’s campaign also seeks to build a broad-based movement across Plateau’s 17 local government areas, presenting NEWTHINKING as a platform for creating a safer, more united and prosperous state.
For his supporters, the 2027 election represents an opportunity for Plateau voters to make a deliberate choice about the future direction of the state and to demand leadership focused on development, competence and measurable results.
The affirmation by party delegates and stakeholders, under the supervision of INEC officials, on September 15 therefore marks the beginning of a new phase in the NDC’s campaign, with Damiyal and his nominated running mate, Meadkom Dung Vincent, positioned to take the party’s message directly to the people of Plateau State.
The central message of the campaign remains clear:
ADD — A New Direction. A New Standard. A New Plateau.
Signed:
ADD Media
Architect Felix Arome has assumed office as the Director-General of the Front Line Alliance Network (FAN), a political support group with structures across Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.
Arome, a former National Secretary of the Relax Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria Group, formally took over leadership during a handover ceremony.
He thanked the founders of FAN for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to strengthen the group’s structures nationwide ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Arome said FAN would work closely with political groups, individuals and organisations supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
He urged members to consolidate the network’s structures down to the local government level, stressing that responsibilities under his leadership would be based on capacity and performance rather than sentiments.
The new Director-General also assured members that their sacrifices and contributions towards building the organisation would be recognised and valued.
FAN had earlier endorsed President Tinubu for another term in office in the 2027 presidential election.
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