Privateness-focused browser DuckDuckGo is rolling out a brand new setting that lets customers filter out AI pictures in search outcomes. The corporate says it’s launching the characteristic in response to suggestions from customers who stated AI pictures can get in the best way of discovering what they’re searching for.
Customers can entry the brand new setting by conducting a search on DuckDuckGo and heading to the Pictures tab. From there, they may see a brand new dropdown menu titled “AI pictures.” Customers can then select whether or not or not they need to see AI content material by deciding on “present” or “conceal.”
Customers may activate the filter of their search settings by tapping the “Cover AI-Generated Pictures” possibility.
DuckDuckGo’s new characteristic comes because the web is being flooded with AI “slop,” which refers to low-quality media content material made utilizing generative AI expertise.
“The filter depends on manually curated open-source blocklists, together with the ‘nuclear’ listing, offered by uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Big AI Blocklist,” DuckDuckGo stated in a submit on X. “Whereas it gained’t catch 100% of AI-generated outcomes, it would drastically scale back the variety of AI-generated pictures you see.”
DuckDuckGo says it plans on including extra filters sooner or later, however didn’t present specifics.
It’s price noting that DuckDuckGo’s instance for the brand new characteristic depicts a picture seek for a child peacock, seemingly in reference to Google going through controversy final 12 months for exhibiting extra AI-generated pictures of child peacocks moderately than real-life pictures when conducting a picture seek for the fowl.