Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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I don't know about you, but I'm tired of seeing AI used in place of actual search results in my web browser or used to summarize whatever I'm looking for. Google has become useless because of this, and other popular search engines are following close behind.
With more search tools turning to AI, what can you do? Are there alternatives that don't push AI front and center? Why yes, there are.
Also: How to get rid of AI Overviews in Google Search: 4 easy ways
Here's a short list of search engines that do not push AI in your face and instead go the old-school route with actual website results.
A warning: Two of these search engines (Brave and DuckDuckGo) offer AI features that can be disabled. In Brave's case, it's the Answer With AI feature that can be disabled in Settings. With DuckDuckGo, there's a button at the top right for Duck AI, which you can disable in Settings. Once you've disabled those, they won't appear in your search results or on the main page of the engine.
1. DuckDuckGo
Best for anyone wanting to ditch Google for a familiar, established service.
DuckDuckGo has been my default search engine for some time now, for several reasons -- one of which is that it doesn't force AI into the results. It's also one of the more private search engines available. AI features are available but disabled by default. To enable or disable Duck AI, use the button in the top right or toggle it in Settings.
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