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and using an un-ai search gets rid of that stupid slop, but it doesn't bring back the useful stuff. i used to google simple sums or basic conversions of money or temperature or a "translate [phrase in another language]" and it would give me the right answer every time, like magic.

Just drop Google. Try Kagi’s magic instead: kagi.com/magic

Just tested this on my phone. You just have to set up your phone to French, I guess 😅

Try typing -ai after the search, I do this for most searches now

The whole sordid tale is here in amazing detail. www.wheresyoured.at/the-men-who-...

technical.ly/civics/ungoo...

DDG FTW

You inspired me to finally block it with more than adding -ai to every search. I just put this on Chrome: ttps://getinfotoyou.com/

The funny thing for me is it for some reason all the search engines and apps think I live in Calgary Alberta so if I were to ask what time sunset is it would give me the wrong time

Naturally …

Couldn't get rid of the google on Android, but it's gone on the desktop. Google own advice does not appear to be useful - there is no "labs" available as far as I could tell:

Did you mean pommes frites?

I feel like the decline of the internet really began when Google search stopped paying attention to text enclosed in quotes and Boolean operators. It seems like that was when big tech was finally admitting “not what you want, but what they want to pay us for you to see”

Yes. It once again defaulted to "aerial views of french fries." 👀 I had to try several different search terms, altering various words, such that it stopped defaulting to "french fries." But even then, I was unable to find the clip I was looking for. 🤷‍♂️

I think it’s wild how we went from social media is primarily a cesspool of disinformation to social media is the only arbitrar of reality (after we got rid of fact, checkers, and any sort of guardrails on hate speech). I’m sure it’s fine though.

Okay fine, til (have never been a food photographer)

Ecosia works as well

I add -ai at the end of any search. Fuck AI

This was, decidedly, not the best possible search term in AI-ified 2026...but one used to be able to search for something that was "close enough" and get expected results. Not anymore!

Try with France fires. The fires are in France, but don't have nationality

Bleak.

That is interesting, because in other contexts Google search has stopped using " " to signify exact matching (because it does not work in other contexts). Ultimately, I just thought this was pretty funny and a moment of levity amid what are otherwise some pretty grim circumstances.

Was similarly looking for an active map of French wildfires yesterday and ran into pretty much the same problem.

😵‍💫

DuckDuckGo search gives you the un-AI-ed info.

Install the udm14 extension. Solves the problem.