It is no secret that Google, like maximum giant tech firms, has long gone all-in on AI. The corporate believes it’s the long term, and, as such, has injected the era into each certainly one of its merchandise, none extra visibly than Google Seek. During the last two years, Google has offered AI summaries that search to reply to your questions, pulling the ideas from internet sites that fewer and less customers are in truth visiting and studying for themselves.
Given this development, it will have to hardly ever come as a marvel that all over I/O 2026, Google introduced “a brand new generation for AI Seek.” This “generation” necessarily marks a spread of its funding in AI in Seek: Along with rolling out its new Gemini 3.5 Flash style to Seek, Google is making it even more uncomplicated to make use of its AI-generated effects (or, in all probability, more difficult to steer clear of them). You’ll be able to now make bigger an AI Review to proceed the dialog in AI Mode, and stay receiving solutions with out enticing with any number one assets your self. Google will even quickly be offering choose customers get right of entry to to Seek “brokers,” which is able to take movements for your behalf on the internet.
Google’s purpose is to make Seek synonymous with AI, which can unquestionably please Google’s traders, however will even alienate some customers. Lots of nonetheless seek Google searching for just right effects for our queries, and now not AI-generated summaries and chats. For my part, I am not all for “proceeding the dialog” with Google’s AI: I wish to to find related internet sites to learn and discover. As such, I went searching for Google Seek choices that both do not use AI, or will let you disable all AI options fully. Listed here are 5 of your best possible choices.
Kagi
Credit score: Lifehacker
Kagi is a favourite amongst tech enthusiasts who need extra regulate over their seek enjoy. It contains perks like ad-free seek and a top degree of customization, however the actual receive advantages for this dialogue issues its AI options: Kagi has them, and you’ll be able to use them if you wish to, however you’ll be able to additionally steer clear of them fully—or even use the browser to struggle again towards AI effects on the internet.
Through default, Kagi helps to keep its AI “Fast Resolution” surroundings in the back of a keyboard shortcut. If you wish to use it, you can wish to input a query mark on the finish of your question. If you do not use query marks, you can by no means see Kagi’s model of AI Overviews, however you’ll be able to additionally disable the characteristic fully from Kagi’s settings. That approach, although you ask Kagi a extra formal query, you can get the standard web site hyperlinks—now not an AI-generated resolution. Kagi additionally contains an possibility (as it should be referred to as SlopStop) to dam positive effects that the hunt engine believes are AI-generated. That applies to each symbol and video effects, too.
Kagi now not most effective means that you can go back to a more effective time of never-ending blue hyperlinks and 0 AI-generated solutions, however it actively works to dam any recognized AI content material from coming into your feed. The one problem is that Kagi is not unfastened: With different search engines like google and yahoo, you pay in your use by way of being proven advertisements, however with Kagi, you pay with precise cash. Your first 100 searches are unfastened, and paid plans get started at $5 per thirty days.
Startpage
Credit score: Lifehacker
Startpage’s shtick is all about consumer privateness. In step with the corporate, this seek engine gets rid of your for my part figuring out knowledge every time you seek. Reasonably than sending your request from you at once, Startpage will anonymously ship the question to its seek suppliers for your behalf and go back the effects to you with out sharing your information. The quest engine does not save your seek historical past, and its measures will have to save you your searches from being tracked throughout websites.
Those privateness perks apart, Starpage has few AI options to fret about. Through default, you do not have to take care of them in any respect on the internet app, however you’ll be able to take a look at below settings for any that can seem—Startpage says it has an not obligatory Abstract characteristic that makes use of AI to generate end result synopses, however I do not even find a way in my Startpage settings. (Abstract seems to be become independent from Startpage’s Quick Resolution characteristic, which does not appear to make use of AI, however which will also be grew to become off in settings.) It is a identical tale on cell: In case you are the use of the iOS app, the corporate says it gives not obligatory AI options, however I do not see them in my settings there both. The corporate additionally gives a personal AI app referred to as Vanish, however that is unrelated to its seek engine.
Startpage is not as feature-filled as different search engines like google and yahoo, however that may well be to its receive advantages. In my enjoy, it gives a typical seek enjoy out of the field, with out a lot (if any) AI.
Qwant
Credit score: Lifehacker
Qwant, so far as I will be able to inform, has just one AI characteristic to talk of, referred to as Flash Resolution. Like different seek engine, this selection makes use of AI to provide a abstract of no matter it’s you might be asking about. Thankfully, if you are taking a look to make use of a seek engine freed from AI, it is slightly simple to disable.
What do you assume thus far?
The primary time you employ Qwant—a minimum of, in my enjoy—Flash Resolution will seem if Qwant’s AI deems it suitable. You can see the choice on the most sensible of the hunt effects window, whole with stars that denote its AI talents. Click on “Flash Resolution,” then make a choice “Deactivated,” quite than “Activated by way of Qwant” (the default), or “All the time activated.” Sadly, it does not seem like you’ll be able to strip away the choice itself, so you can all the time need to stare on the “Flash Resolution” button, however a minimum of you’ll be able to temporarily scroll right down to view your easy hyperlinks.
DuckDuckGo
Credit score: Lifeahcker
DuckDuckGo has lengthy been a go-to possibility for customers searching for a privacy-focused seek engine. Then again, lately, the corporate has taken somewhat of a headfirst solution to AI, including new options and chatbot integrations to stay alongside of the remainder of the trade. In case you use DuckDuckGo’s defaults, you can certainly see “Seek Lend a hand,” its model of AI Overviews, and you can be invited to take a look at Duck.ai, the corporate’s unique chatbot. Thankfully, like different entries in this checklist, you’ll be able to disable those choices for essentially the most phase, and stay the point of interest at the hyperlinks.
In DuckDuckGo’s seek engine, click on the 3 traces to seek out the web site’s Settings. Right here, make a choice “AI Options,” the place you can see all of DuckDuckGo’s AI choices. Disable Duck.ai, then set Seek Lend a hand to “By no means.” In any case, you’ll be able to make a choice to cover AI-generated photographs, when you in point of fact desire a seek engine enjoy devoid of AI.
Ecosia
Credit score: Lifehacker
Ecosia has lengthy been the selection for eco-conscious internet surfers. The corporate makes use of its advert income to plant bushes far and wide the sector, which makes for an attractive pitch: In case you are now not going to make use of Google anyway, in all probability you need to use a seek engine that makes the sector a greater (or a minimum of greener) position.
Whilst Ecosia’s primary venture hasn’t modified, it has added new AI options to the combo. Particularly, there are actually Overviews, which might be Ecosia’s AI-generated summaries, in addition to AI Chat, which makes use of fashions from OpenAI to run. Whilst Overviews are enabled by way of default, you’ll be able to disable them at any time from Ecosia’s settings (which you can to find on the backside of any given seek effects). Then again, Ecosia does not will let you disable its AI Chat button, although you are not the use of the characteristic. That will not be a dealbreaker for you, for the reason that characteristic is not engaged except you click on the button, however it’s kind of disappointing that Ecosia forces you to have a look at a call for participation to make use of AI Chat each time you seek.



