While the AI race is raging, we’ve been building an alternative. One that’s helpful, private, and optional — and designed for you, not for profit.
AI, but thoughtful
AI-powered chatbots and search tools are fast becoming the way people ask questions online. To meet this moment — and to keep using 100% of our profits for the planet — we’re rolling out two features today, alongside a refreshed look.
Overviews give you a quick summary at the top of your search results, always with citations so you can explore the original sources yourself.
Prefer the classic experience? You can turn Overviews off with a single click.
For more detailed questions or ongoing conversations, try AI Search — an interactive chat mode where you can ask anything, from plant-based recipes to travel ideas. You can also receive eco tips rooted in the latest environmental science, if you choose.
As a not-for-profit company, we can afford to do things differently. AI Search uses small models that deliver accurate answers from reliable sources, and we avoid energy-heavy features like video generation altogether.
AI designed for you
At Ecosia we aim to make a positive impact with everything we do. We’ve invested €18M in renewable energy projects – these investments help produce clean energy, pushing fossil fuels off the European energy grid.
We use tools like the AI Energy Score and Ecologits to select efficient models and track their energy use — keeping our process transparent, and ourselves accountable.
Your data stays yours, too. Our new features respect your privacy as much as they respect the planet. We collect only what’s necessary to deliver a great product, and not a byte more.
Earlier this year, we launched an independent European search index, which already powers AI Overviews and some of our search results. Building our own infrastructure gives us more control over the technology, so we can design it with your privacy in mind.
Unlike Big Tech, we don’t run email, maps, or payment platforms, so we couldn’t piece together your life even if we wanted to. That’s not our business, and it never will be. As a European company, we’re bound by strict privacy laws like the GDPR, which means your data stays yours.
AI shouldn’t come at the cost of privacy. After all, we’re here for the trees, not your data.
We’re learning as we go, and we’d love your thoughts along the way. Tell us what works, what doesn’t, and what you’d like to see next at AI.feedback@ecosia.org.
