DuckDuckGo has launched an AI-powered chat feature with four popular AI chatbots, ensuring private and anonymous interactions without data being used for large language model training. Users can access the feature through multiple platforms, and the company plans to offer more advanced models while prioritising user privacy.
DuckDuckGo has launched an AI-powered chat feature, offering users access to four popular AI chatbots: OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 Turbo, Anthropic’s Claude 3 Haiku, Meta’s Llama 3, and Mistral’s Mixtral 8x7B. The company announced that interactions through this service will remain private and anonymous, and the data will not be used to train large language models (LLMs).
The AI Chat feature is accessible via DuckDuckGo’s search results page, duck.ai, duckduckgo.com/chat, or through bang shortcuts “!ai” and “!chat”. DuckDuckGo ensures that user data is anonymized by replacing user IP addresses with its own and removing metadata before transmitting queries to the chat models. Chats may be temporarily stored, but agreements with providers guarantee deletion within 30 days, preventing the data from being used for training purposes.
This feature is currently free within a daily usage limit, and the company is considering a paid plan for higher usage limits and access to more advanced models. DuckDuckGo also plans to expand access to additional chat models and browser entry points. The initiative highlights DuckDuckGo’s continued focus on integrating AI technology while maintaining user privacy.
Last year, DuckDuckGo launched DuckAssist, an AI-powered instant answer service that uses technologies from OpenAI and Anthropic. Unlike a chatbot, DuckAssist offers upgraded Instant Answers by providing direct responses to user queries.
In a blog post, DuckDuckGo lead designer Nirzar Pangarkar emphasized the company’s commitment to making online privacy easy, stating, “Our mission is to show the world that protecting your privacy online can be easy.” DuckDuckGo continues to develop privacy-focused products including search, browsing, email, and now generative AI services.
