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With Google now a cesspool of AI-generated answers, here's how to work smarter: DuckDuckGo and Perplexity are the best one-two punch in search today.
Had you asked me years ago what my search engine combo would be, I might have looked at you with a skeptical eye and asked, "What do you mean?" It was always assumed that Google was the go-to for finding things on the web. Right?
With the advent of AI, that's all changed. Now, Google has essentially become a cesspool of AI-generated answers. That's not to say it's AI's fault. AI has its place, and that's not going to change.
Also: Why the most private way to browse the web isn't incognito mode (but this instead)
But when I go to a search engine, I want actual search results, free from AI's influence. And, if I want AI answers, I'm going to use an AI tool that doesn't attempt to be a search engine. I want separate tools for those tasks because I find the results are exponentially better. You don't want to go to a combo dentist-candy store for a root canal.
Back in 2025, I made Perplexity my default search engine, and it went pretty well. However, after a while, I realized I was missing out on actual search results. However, I wasn't about to go back to Google. Oh no. I needed much more privacy than that search engine offered.
Fortunately, there's DuckDuckGo, which I find to be one of the most private search engines available. DuckDuckGo is not just about privacy; it also lets you switch off AI results in your searches.