New Feature from DuckDuckGo: Filtering Out AI-Generated Images
Searching for images online usually involves a quest for either reliable references or copyright-free visuals suitable for projects. However, AI-generated images often fall short in meeting these needs. In situations where an AI image is truly required, creating one with a personalized prompt is a hassle-free process. Therefore, it’s hard to envision a scenario that necessitates AI images in search results. Fortunately, DuckDuckGo shares this sentiment.
The privacy-centric search engine has recently introduced a remarkable new feature in its Images section: the capability to conceal AI-generated visuals by default. Although there are methods to filter AI results on Google, these generally require additional extensions that users must activate each time. In contrast, DuckDuckGo’s option is a simple set-it-and-forget-it approach.
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To use this feature, simply visit the DuckDuckGo homepage, type in your search, and click on the Images tab. Then, locate the settings toolbar below the search bar, select AI images, and choose Hide from the dropdown list. DuckDuckGo will subsequently remember this preference for all future searches. Alternatively, navigate to the hamburger menu in the upper-right corner, access Settings under Search, and enable Hide AI-Generated Images. You can also start a search at noai.duckduckgo.com.
The company does note that its “block list is not exhaustive,” so some AI-generated results may still appear. However, noticeable improvements can be observed—searching for tabby kittens, for instance, significantly reduced the number of AI images shown, especially those with unusual cartoonish features that aren’t useful for understanding what a baby tabby looks like. Although not as striking as the “baby peacock” illustration provided in DuckDuckGo’s announcement, the filtered results offer greater assurance of authenticity.
What do you think so far?
