DuckDuckGo is the latest search engine to get on the generative AI train. It recently launched the beta version of its new summary tool, known as DuckAssist, which uses “natural language technology” from both OpenAI and AI research company Anthropic.
although similar to Bing, DuckAssist is not quite like ChatGPT. Instead of using multiple sources to create the summaries, the tool primarily uses just one: Wikipedia. DuckDuckGo chose Wikipedia specifically (opens in new tab) “because it is a public source with a transparent editorial process that credits all sources used in an article”. The company also points out that as the platform is regularly updated, DuckAssist will always provide up-to-date information – a few weeks old at most. Occasionally, the tool pulls from other platforms such as Encyclopedia Britannica. However, Wikipedia will be the main one.
According to DuckDuckGo, using a single source of information has several advantages, such as being able to quickly generate answers to a large number of questions. In addition, just retrieving Wikipedia and its sources reduces the rate of hallucinations – a problem generative AIs have where the technology just makes up something that has nothing to do with the query.
Ongoing work
The way DuckAssist works is quite simple. All you have to do is ask DuckDuckGo a question, and it will immediately write a summary, complete with the Wikipedia article at the bottom. It even refers to the specific section of the article where the original information can be found.
The announcement post provides some suggestions for getting the most out of DuckAssist. For example: “Phrase your query as a question [or] adding the word “wiki” increases the likelihood that the summary will appear.
Since the tool is in beta, it’s not perfect. DuckDuckGo admits that DuckAssist won’t get it right 100 percent of the time. It can omit important information, give the wrong information, cite the wrong source, or all three at once – especially if it’s a particularly complex question. Also, not every question gets an answer, such as questions about recent global events.
Due to these issues, DuckDuckGo is asking users to provide suggestions about DuckAssist and how it can improve the tool. In addition to the summaries, there will be an anonymous feedback link where you can send feedback.
Availability
The tool is currently available in DuckDuckGo’s mobile apps and browser extensions, though not everyone will be able to try it out. For those who can, it’s free and completely private. None of the queries will be used to train AI models, nor will OpenAI, Anthropic, or any third party have access to that information. DuckAssist will roll out to all users in the coming weeks, assuming all goes well with the beta.
It’s worth noting that this is the first of a series of AI-assisted features DuckDuckGo is working on. Not much else is known, but it will be interesting to see what the developers come up with.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because Brave has launched something similar in its own web browser. Be sure to check out our coverage Brave’s Summarizer feature.