DuckDuckGo Introduces AI-Generated Image Filter in Search Results

DuckDuckGo now lets you hide AI-generated images in search results | TechCrunch

Privacy-focused browser DuckDuckGo is rolling out a new setting that lets users filter out AI images in search results. The company says it's launching the feature in response to feedback from users who said AI images can get in the way of finding what they're looking for. Users can access the new setting by conducting a search on DuckDuckGo and heading to the Images tab. From there, they will see a new dropdown menu titled "AI images." Users can then choose whether or not they want to see AI content by selecting "show" or "hide." Users can also turn on the filter in their search settings by tapping the "Hide AI-Generated Images" option. DuckDuckGo's new feature comes as the internet is being flooded with AI "slop," which refers to low-quality media content made using generative AI technology. "The filter relies on manually curated open-source blocklists, including the 'nuclear' list, provided by uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist," DuckDuckGo said in a post on X. "While it won't catch 100% of AI-generated results, it will greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see." DuckDuckGo says it plans on adding additional filters in the future, but didn't provide specifics. It's worth noting that DuckDuckGo's example for the new feature depicts an image search for a baby peacock, likely in reference to Google facing controversy last year for showing more AI-generated images of baby peacocks rather than real-life images when conducting an image search for the bird.

This Search Engine Lets You Hide AI-Generated Images in Search Results

Apple software beta tester, "Helps make our computers and phones work!" - Zach's grandparents DuckDuckGo, the company behind the privacy-focused search engine, now has a new tool built into its search engine that lets you filter out AI-generated images from your search results. That way, you may see fewer misleading or fake photos when looking for images. However, the filter is not on by default, so you have to enable it. Here's how to use the AI-generated image filter in DuckDuckGo. 1. Go to duckduckgo.com. 2. Search for an image, something like "baby peacock." 3. Go to the Images tab. 4. Click AI Images: show to open a dropdown menu. 5. Click Hide. DuckDuckGo said in an email to CNET that the image filter relies on open-source blocklists from uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist. CNET's Katelyn Chedraoui covers AI, like chatbots and image generators, and she thinks tools like this are a great way of giving people more control over their search experiences. However, she said these tools aren't perfect. "AI images are impossible to escape online," Chedraoui said. "There's no silver bullet for weeding out AI." DuckDuckGo conceded in its email to CNET that this filter won't stop every AI-generated image result. But the company said that the filter "will greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see." The company said it plans on adding more filters in the future.

Sick of AI Slop? DuckDuckGo Now Lets You Block AI-Generated Images

(Credit: eMateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Whether you are trying to escape from political disinformation or simply avoid AI-assisted cyberscams, AI images are becoming increasingly hard to avoid in the world of search. Now, the privacy-focused Google Chrome alternative DuckDuckGo has rolled out a new feature that lets you hide AI-generated images from your search results. The browser admits the new feature isn't perfect, acknowledging that it "won't catch 100% of AI-generated results," but it promises to "greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see." The new feature uses manually curated open-source blocklists, including what it calls a "nuclear" list, provided by the open-source content-blocking browser extension uBlock Origin and the search blocker uBlacklist. Giving the feature a whirl is relatively simple. First, make a search via DuckDuckGo and head to the Images tab. You'll then see a new drop-down option allowing you to show or hide AI images. Alternatively, for a more consistently AI-free browsing experience, you can bookmark http://noai.duckduckgo.com, where the image filter is auto-enabled and AI-assisted summaries are switched off. This also hides DuckDuckGo's own AI chat feature. Even if they're not intentionally malicious or manipulative, AI images have become a valid cause of complaint for search engine users. TechCrunch, which covered the new feature, noted that numerous users on X, Reddit, and blogging platforms like Medium have complained that for certain search terms, such as "baby peacock," AI images often outnumbered or equalled pictures of the real animals in search results, which could easily lead to confusion about what a real baby peacock even looks like. DuckDuckGo isn't the only firm rolling out new tools to keep unwanted AI content out of your browsing session. In 2024, Hiya rolled out a Chrome extension to help you detect deepfaked audio online, including on YouTube, X/Twitter, and Facebook -- though again, it's not always going to be 100% accurate. Meanwhile, search engines like Microsoft's Bing have partnered with non-profit organizations such as Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse (StopNCII) to remove explicit deepfakes from its search results.

DuckDuckGo now allows you to filter out AI images in search results

DuckDuckGo is making it easier to wade through some of the AI slop that has taken over the internet in recent months. This week, the company introduced a new filter for removing AI-generated images from search results. The next time you use the browser, you'll see a new dropdown menu titled "AI images." From there, you can set whether you want to see AI content or not. The filter relies on manually curated open-source block lists maintained by uBlockOrigin and others. According to DuckDuckGo, the filter won't catch every AI-generated image out on the internet, but it will greatly reduce how many you see. The company says it's working on additional filters. You'll notice the example DuckDuckGo uses to demo the feature in the GIF it provided involves a search for images of a "baby peacock." That's not by accident. People first started noticing how much Google Search results had been overrun by AI slop about a year ago, and one of the worst examples was any query involving the showy birds. Google has since addressed the situation somewhat, but AI slop in search results remain a problem on the platform. So it's good to see DuckDuckGo adopt a simple but effective solution to the issue.

DuckDuckGo can now hide AI-generated images while searching the web

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. Editor's take: Generative AI services are everywhere now, flooding the web with an ungodly amount of AI slop regardless of the subject. Major search engines are joyfully shoving this content down users' throats, while smaller services are scrambling to offer alternatives for managing the AI waste turning the internet into a digital landfill. DuckDuckGo recently introduced a new setting to help users manage the flood of AI-generated content cluttering search results. The alternative search engine now offers a quick way to hide machine-made images from search pages, though results may still vary depending on the query. DuckDuckGo's new filtering option relies on manually curated, open-source lists of websites known for spreading AI-generated content. One such list is also used by ad-blocking tools like uBlock Origin and uBlacklist and includes more than a thousand sites known for hosting large volumes of AI-produced material. The filtering approach won't catch all AI-generated content but should significantly reduce digital clutter in image search results. Users can enable the AI-hiding feature via a new drop-down menu on the image search page or through their account's search settings. Users can also access a "No AI" version of the search engine through a dedicated URL. In addition to hiding AI images, this version disables AI search summaries and other AI-related features. DuckDuckGo recommends bookmarking the page for those who want to see less AI content while browsing. While introducing the new filtering feature on Reddit earlier this week, the DuckDuckGo team said AI features should be private, useful, and optional. People should be able to decide for themselves how much AI content they want in their lives - or whether they want any at all. DuckDuckGo is a US-based search engine focused on privacy and user choice. It doesn't track browsing habits, keeps favicons anonymous, and discards user geolocation data. In recent years, the company has expanded with browser extensions and a custom DuckDuckGo browser for both desktop and mobile platforms. DuckDuckGo also offers a way to anonymously access ChatGPT and other popular chatbot services through its Duck.ai platform. The company says it does not use conversation data to train new AI models and has set up the service to keep sessions private.

Sick of fake AI pics? DuckDuckGo's new filter lets you hide AI images for good

DuckDuckGo has introduced a new feature allowing users to filter out AI-generated images from their search results. This update addresses user concerns about the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content hindering their ability to find authentic images. The filter utilizes open-source blocklists to significantly reduce, though not entirely eliminate, AI-generated images, with plans for future enhancements. Are you sick of AI-generated pictures getting in the way of your image searches? DuckDuckGo has heard your complaints loud and clear. DuckDuckGo, a search engine that cares about privacy, just added a new feature that lets users hide AI-generated images from results. You can now conceal AI-generated images in search results using DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo is introducing a new feature that allows users to exclude AI images from search results. According to the company, the feature is being introduced in response to user feedback indicating that AI images may impede users' ability to find what they're looking for. By performing a search on DuckDuckGo and selecting the Images tab, users can access the new setting. They will then be presented with a new drop-down menu labeled "AI images." After that, users can select "show" or "hide" to indicate whether they wish to view AI content. By selecting the "Hide AI-Generated Images" option in their search settings, users can also activate the filter, as per a report by Tech Crunch. DuckDuckGo's latest feature coincides with the proliferation of AI slop, low-quality media content created with generative AI technology, on the internet. According to a post on X by DuckDuckGo, "the filter relies on manually curated open-source blocklists, including the 'nuclear' list, provided by uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist." "While it won't catch 100% of AI-generated results, it will greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see. " DuckDuckGo stated that it intends to add more filters in the future, but it gave no details. It's important to note that DuckDuckGo's example of the new feature shows an image search for a baby peacock. This is probably a reference to Google's controversy last year when it displayed more artificial intelligence-generated images of baby peacocks than actual images when users searched for the bird. DuckDuckGo looks like it's trying to be a cleaner, more reliable option for people who want real images instead of guesses made by machines. People want to be able to filter out AI-generated content as it becomes more common online, and DuckDuckGo now lets them do that. How can I block AI images in DuckDuckGo? Simply navigate to the Images tab and select the new "AI images" dropdown to hide them. Will it remove all AI images? Not entirely, but it will reduce the majority of them using open-source blocklists.