Generative AI fans will have another place to create their content soon, because DuckDuckGo has said that its own AI-powered image generator is almost ready. With a strong focus on user privacy, the company is now entering the field of generative AI, which is getting more competitive lately. Even though DuckDuckGo is best known for its privacy-focused web search engine, the company is now also using its “privacy first” philosophy to make images. They see this as an alternative to other services that often rely too heavily on data collection.
The new image generator works in a way that is similar to how generative AI tools generally work; when the users type a text prompt, the system uses that description to create an image. Despite sharing some features with other platforms, DuckDuckGo claims that its primary distinction is its greater emphasis on privacy.
User prompts are processed anonymously, which is what the company claims, and neither stored nor used to train the underlying image models. OpenAI provides the image generation technology, but DuckDuckGo says it doesn’t store personal information or link prompts to users’ identities. This strategy fits with the business’s long-standing goal of reducing data tracking and avoiding the storage of private data.
Another important factor is how generated images are handled. Images are not saved on DuckDuckGo’s servers; instead, they are saved on the user’s device. This cuts down on the amount of data the company keeps and the amount of user-generated content that could be seen. The photos also contain metadata that complies with the C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) standard. Later, third parties can use this metadata to confirm that the images were made using AI. This helps make AI use more open and responsible.
And for newcomers, the image generator appears to be pretty easy to use. Using a web browser, users can go to duck.ai and choose the “New Image” option from the left. The service is available for free, but it includes a daily limit on the number of images that can be generated. In order to reward power users and maintain basic access, DuckDuckGo offers higher generation limits to users who sign up for one of its paid plans.
With this tool’s release, DuckDuckGo formally enters the competition among leading tech firms creating AI image generation solutions. In contrast to many larger platforms that depend on massive data collection to enhance and scale their models, its primary competitive advantage is its stringent privacy policy. Still, it’s not clear if privacy alone will be enough to beat new and old competitors like Google’s image-making tools or OpenAI’s newest models. DuckDuckGo’s image generator will probably do well in the long run if it strikes a good balance between privacy, image quality, usability, and new feature development in a market that is changing quickly.
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