After Google created an opportunity for this alternative search engine, DuckDuckGo is now promoting itself to schools. On Tuesday, Google informed schools that they could disable Gemini, but at the same time, it was stated that if they disabled its other AI functions, schools would also lose Google Search.
DuckDuckGo is a company that emphasizes user privacy by restricting data collection. Clearly, it sees this as an opportunity to enter the education market, a sector where Google has traditionally held a dominant position. According to data released by Google in previous years, there are approximately 50 million Chromebook devices in schools for use by students and educators, and its Google Classroom platform has over 150 million users worldwide.
DuckDuckGo, the founder and CEO, mentioned the company's online documentation on X, explaining how schools can switch their default search engines to DuckDuckGo's service, and added, "For assistance, please contact us."
At the same time, DuckDuckGo, the Chief Public Affairs Officer Kamyl Bazbaz, issued a more stern statement, which read: "Imposing AI on school-age children: This is how monopolists behave when they think people are powerless. It proves that Google is wrong."
DuckDuckGo criticized Google's decision in an email sent to TechCrunch, and added that if Google wished, it could easily disable the AI feature in searches for schools.
The company's comments come at a time when the American public is weighing just how much of these AI they are willing to allow to enter their lives. As the elections on Tuesday night showed, they do not wish to see AI data centers built in their towns. However, the use of AI in work and schools has become commonplace, which requires more detailed discussion.
As educators have been constantly dealing with the challenges brought about by AI, Google has developed a technology called “Guided Learning” which aims to help learning by guiding children through problem-solving steps rather than providing direct answers. However, educators are still calling for tools that can completely remove AI from the learning process.
After a rebound on Tuesday, Google defended its decision, stating that it was merely a response to feedback from schools. Google mentioned that Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search would be disabled by default, and schools could choose to enable them separately.
Of course, the problem is that Google Search is now being used extensively in place of AI, including through AI Overviews and a method of answering user queries in a conversational manner via AI Mode.
It should be noted that DuckDuckGo does not oppose AI — it also offers its own series of AI functions, including a chat interface named Duck.ai, as well as a AI search assistant.
However, the company stated that, unlike Google, it provides options to turn off these functions both in search and browser settings. It also offers a dedicated website noai.duckduckgo.com, where features such as AI auxiliary answers, AI image generation, and AI suggestions are all disabled.
This flexibility may be driving the growth in demand for its services. Earlier this year, the company stated that due to users refusing to be forced to use Google's AI search, the installation volume of its app increased by 30%.
