Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has launched the first beta version of DuckAssist, an AI-assisted feature that writes accurate summaries to answer users' search queries.
DuckAssist uses OpenAI’s natural language technology to generate answers to user's search queries at the top of the search results page, making responses more direct than traditional search results.
Contrary to other generative AI search assistants that use input from thousands of websites, DuckAssist only sources information from Wikipedia and Britannica, hoping to prevent incorrect information from being used when generating answers.
This restrained approach also differentiates DuckAssist from the AI-powered summarizer that Brave Search launched last week, which sources content from news portals, making it more susceptible to false or misleading information in some cases.
DuckDuckGo explains that Wikipedia was selected as the primary data source for DuckAssist because it is relatively reliable across a broad spectrum of topics, it is a transparent organization, and its sources can be easily traced through the listed citations.
The internet company says it still expects DuckAssist to make mistakes, especially when it attempts to answer complex questions, so users who get odd answers are invited to share their feedback anonymously via the provided link under the summaries box.
DuckDuckGo says that for the first trial period, DuckAssist will only activate on user queries for which its limited (for the time being) resources can provide straightforward answers.
As for search query anonymity, which sits at the core of DuckDuckGo’s values, the company assures that DuckAssist is fully integrated into its private search engine; hence, user queries or browsing history aren’t logged.
Some data has to be transmitted to search content partners like OpenAI and Anthropic, but no personally identifiable information or IP addresses are ever shared with those entities.
DuckDuckGo says that DuckAssist will gradually roll out to users in the coming weeks and promises that this will be the first of the many AI-assisted features it plans to roll out in the coming months.
Comments
NoneRain - 1 year ago
Cool addition, but Bing is, by now, the best one in terms of functionality. Being limited to Wikipedia makes it “less intelligent” than Brave, Bing or what Google proposes.
ThomasMann - 1 year ago
I think you should have a look into algorithm that is used...
When it comes to selecting the used information for the output, it opens the door to desasters. As we can already see at ChatGPT...
NoneRain - 1 year ago
You're right, but the "disaster" only happens cuz people rely on the IA to answer things that shouldn't be put there. I mean, I had great results with technical stuff. I don't go there to ask about the news or historical stuff, since those things may vary from source to source (unfortunately). This should be basic logic, but users, right? hahah
In the other hand, DuckDuckGo can provide better answers for those topics for looking only on Wiki, but it can't help me with a script or revise a text, you know, things that are really helpful and is what I expect from an IA.
herbman - 1 year ago
Bing , Google , MSN etc.. never ever link to real news sources they only link to government affiliated mainstream news sources .
Wikipedia for example is nothing but democrat propaganda according to it's co founder.
Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger has confessed that the site has now become ‘pure Democrat propaganda.
Sanger co-founded Wikipedia with Jimmy Wales in 2001. It was originally set-up to be impartial and free from censorship.
During the interview, Sanger admitted that while the online encyclopedia began with good intentions it is now just another tool to parrot left-wing talking points and censor those who challenge the mainstream narrative.
“Wikipedia made a real effort at neutrality for, I would say, its first five years or so,” said Sanger.
“And then … it began a long, slow slide into what I would call leftist propaganda.”
U_Swimf - 1 year ago
Herban... That article is old. Pre covid. Wikipedia is no more neutral than any other player in the game. They did try though.. but inevitably it couldn't sustain. Good faith is an ideological state that doesn't reflect anything in present time
NoneRain - 1 year ago
Yeah, but you know, there are more content than politics and social-related-stuff on Wikipedia. You should check those topics instead.
"Google, Bing [...] never ever link to real news sources"
oh boy. Don't use AI to look for news. There are so many things AI is great for, and people keep looking for sh1t that they know the internet is full of bullshit about.
Learn how to use the tools, man.
U_Swimf - 1 year ago
I just asked ddgo what today's date was. Closest the first page results came up with was 2 days behind. Couldn't even tell me the time.
Then i asked Google through Chrome. Who do you think nailed it? Ddgo must have money to burn.