DuckDuckGo has unveiled an AI-driven interface called AI chat for several popular chatbots and has stated that it will not share or utilize the input from users to train extensive language models, which are the foundation for their generative AI (genA) technology.
In a blog post, DuckDuckGo lead designer Nirzar Pangarkar stated that chats are private and anonymized by the company. The goal is to demonstrate that protecting privacy online can be simple.
The DuckDuckGo AI Chat feature currently provides access to four popular AI chatbots, including Open AI’s GPT 3.5 Turbo, Anthropic’s Claude 3 Haiku, Meta Llama 3, and Mistral’s Mixtral 8x7B (the latter two being open-source models). The optional AI Chat feature is free to use within a daily limit and can be easily turned off.
You can find the feature on duck.ai or duckduckgo.com/chat on the Chat tab of a user’s search results page, or use the !ai and !chat bang shortcuts, which all lead to the same place,” Pangarkar explained.
The company is also looking into adding more chat models and browser entry points. They are also considering a paid plan for higher daily usage limits and advanced models.
The company referenced a recent study by the Pew Research Center in its blog, which revealed that adults in the US hold a pessimistic view of AI’s effect on privacy, despite growing optimism about its potential impact in other areas.
Approximately 80% of individuals familiar with AI believe that its utilization by companies will result in the misuse of personal information, causing discomfort and unintended use.
Simultaneously, Pew research indicates a consistent increase in the percentage of US adults utilizing chatbots for purposes such as work, education, and entertainment.
In the previous year, the search engine introduced DuckAssist, an AI-driven instant answer service, as a component of its broader strategy to incorporate AI into its range of services. DuckAssist utilizes technology from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and Anthropic to produce its own responses to specific types of queries.
Despite this, DuckAssist is not considered a chatbot; the company asserts that it is an enhancement to its Instant Answers feature, enabling users to receive thorough responses to their queries without having to click on a search result.
“We are committed to ensuring that individuals can utilize the Internet and various digital resources without compromising their privacy,” Pangarkar explained.
“As a result, we create products that enhance privacy in people’s everyday online activities. This has been our consistent approach, starting with search, then browsing, email, and now extending to generative AI through AI Chat.”
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