AI-produced images of subpar quality urged to be halted, according to DuckDuckGo
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has taken a significant step towards enhancing user experience by introducing a new feature to filter out AI-generated images in its search results.
Launched in March 2023, DuckAssist, an optional AI assistant, was the first step in this direction. Now, seven months later, DuckDuckGo has added a filter to hide AI-generated images, effective from July 2025 [1][2][3].
This innovative feature is made possible through the use of manually curated open-source blocklists. Projects like uBlock Origin and uBlacklist, which maintain databases of websites known to host AI-generated visuals, provide these blocklists [4][5]. When users enable the filter, DuckDuckGo automatically removes images flagged in these blocklists from the search results.
The filter is easily accessible on DuckDuckGo's image search interface and browser. Users can find it via an "AI images" dropdown in the Images tab or by activating the "Hide AI-Generated Images" option in search settings. For a more streamlined experience, users can visit noai.duckduckgo.com to enable the filter by default, along with disabling AI summaries and the browser's chatbot [1][2][3].
While this method is not perfect and may miss some AI-generated images (false negatives), it is designed to significantly reduce the number of synthetic images in search results. This move responds to widespread user frustration with the flood of AI-generated content online. DuckDuckGo plans to improve detection and filtering in future updates [1][2][3][4][5].
It's worth noting that DuckDuckGo's approach towards AI stands in stark contrast to industry giants like Google, which have faced criticism for their handling of user data and AI-generated content. DuckDuckGo's commitment to user privacy and its opposition to tracking or storing personal data sets it apart [6].
Moreover, DuckDuckGo's approach towards AI could serve as an example for other industry actors. As the use of AI continues to grow, ensuring user privacy and control over the content they consume becomes increasingly important [7]. LinkedIn, for instance, has identified AI-generated contents on its platform and is taking steps to address this issue [8].
In a world where AI is becoming more prevalent, DuckDuckGo's commitment to transparency and user control is a welcome development. By offering users the ability to opt-out of AI-generated images, DuckDuckGo is demonstrating its commitment to putting user experience and privacy first.
References: [1] DuckDuckGo Blog: https://blog.duckduckgo.com/duckassist-ai-powered-answers/ [2] TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/01/duckduckgo-duckassist-ai-assistant/ [3] The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/1/23667804/duckduckgo-hide-ai-generated-images-search-results [4] uBlock Origin: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock [5] uBlacklist: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/wiki/uBlacklist [6] DuckDuckGo Privacy Policy: https://duckduckgo.com/privacy [7] Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johncox/2023/03/01/duckduckgo-duckassist-ai-assistant-privacy-focused-search-engine/ [8] LinkedIn Help Center: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/64957/identifying-ai-generated-content-on-linkedin?lang=en
The new feature introduced by DuckDuckGo in July 2025 filters out AI-generated images from search results, leveraging manually curated blocklists from projects like uBlock Origin and uBlacklist. When users enable this filter, DuckDuckGo removes images flagged in these blocklists from the search results, offering a more transparent and user-controlled experience.
