AI - add option to turn it off

[ecdr]

Summary

Add option to extension to turn off AI in duckduckgo searches.

Motivation

I don't want my searches or search results sent to AI companies (used as prompts). (Violates my privacy, wastes resources generating garbage results I don't want.)
I don't want to see AI results. They are, literally, bullshit (words assembled without meaning). They could mislead or confuse me. (I might forget/not notice that some part of a result is algorithmic word salad.)
Training AI and using it to generate results takes a lot of energy and computers - resources better not spent.

The extension could turn off AI every time I run my browser - regardless of whether I retain cookies.
Currently the only way to turn off AI in duckduckgo is by letting duckduckgo store a cookie. I have my browser delete all cookies on close. To turn off duckduckgo AI, I would have to give duckduckgo blanket permission to store cookies. I find no easy way to make Firefox remember just one cookie. Duckduckgo already started providing AI garbage - no knowing what other information they might chose to store/track. They may start tracking at any time. I don't feel comfortable giving them this carte blanche.

If the extension let me turn off the AI, then I can audit the extension before I install it. I can check future versions before I decide to update the extension. Gives me control.

Additional context

In addition to adding this feature to the extension, it would be nice if they added distinct URLs for the AI and non-AI versions of duckduckgo. e.g.,
duckduckgo.ai - with AI bullshit
noai.duckduckgo.com - without AI bullshit (will never have AI)
duckduckgo.com - I think it should be noai version (with possibly an advertisement banner for the ai version), unless the vast majority of users want AI. However it wouldn't matter much which version plain duckduckgo.com uses - because I would have a simple way to access and share the non-AI version. I wouldn't need an extension, or cookies, etc.

Impact: Many (most?) people hate AI, so many should benefit. https://pivot-to-ai.com/
AI has a huge negative environmental impact:
https://pivot-to-ai.com/2024/09/15/microsoft-is-firmly-committed-to-environmentally-sustainable-ai-except-when-theres-a-sale-to-be-made/
AI shortenings are not trustworthy:
https://pivot-to-ai.com/2024/09/04/dont-use-ai-to-summarize-documents-its-worse-than-humans-in-every-way/

Examples of similar extensions: No AI Google Search
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/no-ai-google-search/kkkmdpaccgdbipbgemkpfidkckdfekhl
(Same idea, different search engine. I have not tested this extension, so do not know how well it works.)

[ecdr]

Another similar extension:
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/google-chrome/bye-bye-ai-how-to-block-googles-annoying-ai-overviews-and-just-get-search-results

Bye Bye, Google AI: Turn off Google AI Overviews, Discussions and Ads
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/bye-bye-google-ai-turn-of/imllolhfajlbkpheaapjocclpppchggc

[npxl32]

I don't want my searches or search results sent to AI companies (used as prompts). (Violates my privacy,

DuckDuckGo AI runs through a privacy layer mediated by DuckDuckGo:
— All user chats are completely anonymous
— DuckDuckGo does not record any user chats
— All metadata that contains identifiable information about the user's device (for
example, their IP address) is removed before sending prompts to the model provider, OpenAI, Anthropic, or together.ai, such that, while OpenAI, Anthropic, or together.ai can store chats for some time to make sure their systems are functioning properly, these chats are already completely anonymous so there is no risk of de-anonymization and also therefore no need to anonymize them further
— Because user chats cannot be tied back to any particular individual, if a user types personal information directly into the chat, no one can tell whether it was the user doing it themselves or someone else doing it
— OpenAI/Anthropic/together.ai have agreed that no chats made via DuckDuckGo will be used to train or improve models

I would have to give duckduckgo blanket permission to store cookies.

and what's wrong with that...?