DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine, has launched a new AI chat feature that allows users to interact with popular language models like GPT-3, Claude, and others in total anonymity. Called DuckDuckGo AI Chat, this free platform prioritizes user privacy while providing access to cutting-edge generative AI capabilities.
What is DuckDuckGo AI Chat?
DuckDuckGo AI Chat is an anonymous way to use AI chatbots from companies like:
- OpenAI (GPT-3.5 Turbo)
- Anthropic (Claude 3 Haiku)
- Meta (Llama 3 70B)
- Mistral (Mixtral 8x7B)
- More AI models will be added over time.
The chat interface is clean and user-friendly, allowing you to simply choose a model and start conversing. It’s free to use within a daily limit, with potential paid plans for higher usage in the future.
How to Use AI Chat Anonymously
To access the private AI chat, simply go to duck.ai or duckduckgo.com/chat. You can also find it under the “Chat” tab on DuckDuckGo search result pages or use the !ai and !chat shortcuts.
Within the chat interface, you can switch between AI models, get quick answers, draft emails/code, plan trips, and more — all while remaining completely anonymous.
If you want to start over, just hit the “Fire” button to instantly clear your conversation.
DuckDuckGo views AI Chat and web search as complementary tools for exploring topics. You can start with AI Chat for direct answers, then pivot to regular searches for primary sources, reviews, prices etc. Or begin with searches and use chat follow-ups to clarify the information found.
The goal is to provide multiple access points, letting you fluidly combine AI chat with traditional search in whichever way is most helpful for your research needs.
How Does AI Chat Protect Your Privacy?
Privacy is at the core of DuckDuckGo AI Chat. When you use the chat, DuckDuckGo calls the AI models on your behalf, replacing your IP address with their own. This way, the requests appear to come from DuckDuckGo, not you personally.
Your chat data is never stored or used to train the AI models. DuckDuckGo strips all metadata containing personal information before sending queries. They also have agreements ensuring any temporarily saved chats are automatically deleted within 30 days by the AI companies.
As generative AI goes mainstream, DuckDuckGo is taking a cautious, privacy-minded approach. AI Chat maintains their core principle of not collecting personal data, addressing growing public concerns around AI training and data usage.
The company’s mission is making online privacy simple. With products like Private Search, Private Browsing, Private Email, and now AI Chat, they aim to make privacy protection seamless across all digital activities.
What’s Next for DuckDuckGo AI Chat?
DuckDuckGo has an active roadmap for expanding and improving AI Chat, including:
– Adding more chat models like DuckDuckGo/user-hosted options
– Custom system prompts
– UI/UX enhancements based on user feedback
– Potential paid tiers for higher usage limits
You can submit feedback and feature requests directly through the AI Chat interface.
With its anonymous, privacy-respecting approach to generative AI access, DuckDuckGo AI Chat offers a unique solution as the technology goes mainstream. Whether you want secure search assistance or simply to engage with language AIs anonymously, this new platform provides a valuable option.
As the company states, “Our mission is to show the world that protecting your privacy online can be easy.”
DuckDuckGo’s cautious and privacy-minded approach to AI Chat directly addresses growing public concerns around data collection and misuse in the AI industry. As generative AI goes mainstream, there is increasing scrutiny over how user data is being leveraged to train these powerful language models. By ensuring that no personal data is collected or used for training, DuckDuckGo AI Chat stands out as a trustworthy and ethical option.