DuckDuckGo traffic jumped 28% after Google's AI pivot backlash

DuckDuckGo saw a measurable spike in visits the week after Google doubled down on AI-generated summaries in search results, suggesting users are actively seeking alternatives when they perceive search quality declining. For indie makers building search tools or privacy-focused services, this shows there's real appetite for non-AI-first approaches when incumbents push features users didn't ask for.