The TRUTH About Ecosia

Written By Emma Dendler

Every search engine is moving to AI models these days. It sucks. Even the most eco-friendly and ethical providers are still implementing AI. Yes, that means our beloved Ecosia, too. But first, we have to talk about why they are getting so much press right now and it all starts with Google.

Google is 100% AI Now

Starting May 26, 2026, Google announced it would be moving to a fully-AI operating model. Google says that "Google is fundamentally transitioning into an "AI-first" company, marking the biggest overhaul to its ecosystem in 25 years. However, instead of deleting the classic blue links, they are fusing web search with conversational artificial intelligence.”

This is leading many people to de-Google. That looks like swapping to other email providers, search engines, browsers, and more. As the internet started to storm during this week of AI transition, one browser was heard more than others as to who we should switch to: Ecosia.

Many are switching to Ecosia…what is it?

I’ve been recommending people use Ecosia since at least 2019. I was proud to be an early implementer of this search engine that plants trees per search and let’s us use part of the internet for good! Here’s what they have to say about themselves:

“Ecosia’s mission is to create simple ways for everyone to be climate active every day.

We dedicate 100% of our profits to the planet. That means you can plant trees, protect endangered animals, and uplift communities around the world simply by browsing.”

They are also big on internet safety, unlike Google, stating that “Our privacy panel keeps an eye out and warns you about unsafe sites. It can also set your cookie settings for all sites automatically according to your preference.”

So, yes, it’s leaps and bounds better than Google, which I love. If I’m going to use the internet (which, let’s face it, we all have to in this day and age), I want it to be as sustainable and ethical as possible. But, it’s curious to me why in the middle of this anti-AI conversation, people are recommending Ecosia.

That’s right, Ecosia uses AI.

“Green” AI and Ecosia’s model

Ecosia claims to use the “world’s greenest AI” and “Our AI is backed by renewables and uses smaller, faster models to save energy.”

To me, this sounds like an oxymoron. It’s giving the same energy as fossil fuel companies, claiming that natural gas is the world’s best fossil fuel (which I bust in this video). It’s still a fossil fuel. It’s still AI. Neither of these things can be sustainable. They can be less bad, less pollutive, less invasive than competitors, yes, but that doesn’t make them good or sustainable or green. Green is just an unregulated buzzword businesses like to use to greenwash.

I’m not saying that this is greenwashing, but it does raise some red flags for me.

Here are some decent things about their AI:

  • It can be turned off. Though I wish it were an opt-in model vs an opt-out model

  • They use smaller, faster models that balance performance with efficiency

  • They generate more renewable energy than our AI features use

  • They are a European company and are also bound by strict privacy laws like the GDPR, which means your data stays yours

Why do they use it in the first place?

Well, I don’t love their reasons. They say it’s because “we want to remain useful and competitive.”

They also claim that they are going to be doing MORE AI in the future to include a personal climate coach and an AI to recommend you eco brands. Yes, I love that more and more people want to live an eco-life, but many others and I already give free advice and brand recommendations for free across social media platforms. I think this is the first time I’ve been worried about AI taking my job!

Another reason they want to use AI is “to help users find answers faster with summaries at the top of search results.” I don’t necessarily think that’s valid, either.

It’s overall just wild to me that an eco company chooses to implement this much AI. I feel like it’s a bit overkill with them developing it beyond absolute necessity. Let us know your thoughts below!

How to De-Google

Let’s bring it back to Google. It is for sure a company that warrants your boycott (more here). I can’t do a full breakup unless I give up YouTube. I want to use this platform for good…and it’s my main source of income. If you have tips as to how I can get off YouTube but still remain employed as a content creator, I’m all ears!

For now, here are some ways you can de-Google your life. Take what works for you and leave the rest. It’s okay to not do them all. Any small step we take way from supporting evil companies mattes:

  • Google Calendar:

    • Notion: like Google Calendar, you can sync this between devices (though, they are heavy on the AI usage)

    • Built-in phone calendar

    • Paper calendar

  • Chrome/Search:

    • Ecosia: uses AI, but plants trees per search

    • DuckDuckGo: uses AI, but is secure

    • Mojeek: uses AI behind the scenes but is limited for the user aspect

    • Brave browser

    • Firefox browser

  • Gmail:

    • Tuta Mail

    • Proton

    • Zoho

  • Google Tools Suite:

    • Unfortunately, Microsoft Suite also scrubs your documents with AI tools. AI-free options (as far as I’m aware) include:

      • Scrivener for writing documents

      • Proton replaces Google Docs

      • Canva is great to replace Google Presentations

  • Google Tech/Devices:

    • Continue to use the devices you have, but if you want to stop monetarily supporting Google, don’t buy their devices moving forward. If you’re deadset on them, opt for refurbished/secondhand. Full post on the most eco tech companies coming soon!

It is possible to be Anti-AI?

It’s getting harder and harder to avoid. Even when you search on your social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, they are using AI tools to search. Even search engines like Mojeek that don’t us AI interfaces for consumers, still use AI behind the scenes.

I’m honestly not sure if it’s possible to be 100% AI-free right now. It came upon us so fast!

But I feel the same about AI usage as I do about zero waste living. I can’t be 100% zero waste, and neither can you. We live in a wasteful world, and we have to work with what we have access to. That’s how I approach my mostly AI-free life. I worry about the stuff I CAN control: I don’t use chatbots, I don’t use generative AI, I block AI accounts, I support human artists, and I advocate for human protections against AI.

I can’t control that there is hidden AI across the entire internet and in all of the tools I use to work. I disable as much as I can and make as many AI-free or AI-lite swaps as I can, but it’s not perfect. That is not an excuse to consume as much AI as possible, though. Keep just doing your best!

Leave us your tips for getting away from AI down below if you are aiming to be as AI-free as you can. If you’re not, it’s okay to stick around or leave if you don’t feel like my page suits you.

Thanks for reading this. This has been heavy on my mind recently. I usually end my posts more hopeful, but I’m really not sure were we are going to go in this age of AI and tech.

As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)

Emma

Emma Dendler
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