Why are people replacing a Gem with a Duck? The emergence of no-AI search engines

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TONIGHT

US House of Representatives votes for war resolution while Lebanon remains under Israeli fire

Good afternoon, friends, and congratulations on making it to the weekend. To reward your perseverance, we've packed today’s issue with a little bit of everything: a look at how Google’s AI ambitions are inadvertently giving DuckDuckGo a boost, a review of Remarkably Bright Creatures and its tender ode to humanity, a roundup of this weekend’s World Cup friendlies, and a reminder that Aziz Maraka is bringing the hits to Cairo Jazz Club 610 soon.

Without further ado, the news…

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

🌐 Still getting plenty of ink are the latest updates on the ongoing US-Iran war. In a dramatic turn of events, the US House of Representatives approved a war powers resolution aimed at curbing US military action against Iran — a significant challenge to President Donald Trump. The vote marks the first time Capitol Hill has backed such a measure since the conflict began, with a small group of Republicans joining Democrats to support an end to the war.

The outcome comes despite efforts by House Speaker Mike Johnson to block the resolution, having suspended floor proceedings two weeks ago when it appeared poised to pass. Opposition to the war has only intensified in the weeks since, as the conflict drags on and the administration struggles to chart a path toward peace. “Enough is enough,” said Gregory Meeks, senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Meeks argued that Americans are increasingly feeling the economic consequences of the conflict, citing rising costs of gas and groceries, and urged Trump to bring the war to an end.

^^Read more on: CNN, BBC, and Associated Press

CLOSER TO HOME- Israel continues relentless attacks on southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire. Any hopes that the newly announced Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement would bring an immediate halt to hostilities were quickly tempered on Thursday, as Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel would continue carrying out strikes in Lebanon and would not withdraw from the country’s south for the time being.

The ceasefire agreement, unveiled in Washington following talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials, is part of a US-backed diplomatic effort aimed at reducing tensions along the border. Notably absent from the negotiations was Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group at the center of the conflict, which has yet to publicly comment on the agreement.

^^Read more on: Reuters, Guardian, BBC, and CNN

IN OTHER NEWS- The UK’s financial watchdog is putting football clubs on notice. The Financial Conduct Authority warned clubs — including those in the Premier League — that sponsorship agreements with unauthorized crypto firms and trading platforms could expose them to judicial risks, money laundering concerns, and reputational fallout.

The regulator said some firms may be using high-profile football sponsorships to sidestep UK financial promotion rules, marketing themselves to fans despite not being authorized to operate in Britain. The warning reflects growing scrutiny of the increasingly close relationship between sports and crypto, as regulators seek to crack down on unlicensed financial promotions targeting consumers.

^^Read more on: Reuters, Financial Times, and the Guardian

** CATCH UP QUICK on the top stories from today’s EnterpriseAM:

Ascom’s board of directors approved a fair value study to acquire a 90% stake in Raya Holding’s Ostool Transport and Logistics, bringing Qalaa Holdings’ mining arm one step closer to executing the EGP 641 mn buyout;
The EGX30 added 1.73% in May to close the month at roughly 52.7k points — a far cry from April’s 14.2% surge but still a solid showing since the month was shortened by four trading sessions for Eid El Adha. Total market cap climbed 2.48% to EGP 3.76 tn;
Egypt’s gross domestic savings rate collapsed to 1.2% of GDP in FY 2024/25, down from 6.1% the previous fiscal year — a 75% drop in a single year. This puts Egypt’s savings rate at a fraction of what high-growth emerging markets typically need to fund investment-led growth.

☀️ TOMORROW’S WEATHER- Tomorrow brings warm weather and hazy sunshine, with temperatures peaking at 36°C before settling at a breezy 26°C by nightfall. Along the North Coast, expect slightly milder temperatures with a high of 31°C and a cooler low of 19°C, according to our favorite weather app.

No-AI is all the rage as AI-weary users flock to DuckDuckGo

🦆 Tired of Google’s AI-first search results? You’re not the only one. An anti-AI search movement is gaining momentum as a growing number of users turn to DuckDuckGo’s No-AI traditional search experience. Following Google’s latest I/O developer event, where the company unveiled its AI-first search engine revamp, privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo saw its highest-ever single-day search traffic last Monday.

DuckDuckGo’s no-AI search page is seeing record traffic, with visits up nearly 30% w-o-w and US iPhone installs soaring almost 70%. Now, among the iOS App Store’s top three most downloaded browsers, the company is benefiting from growing AI fatigue. The numbers are hard to ignore — could AI chip away at Google’s long-held search-engine reign?

Why DuckDuckGo?

When Google started prioritizing AI Overviews over its signature blue-link pages, most online users were not on board. DuckDuckGo quickly became an easy alternative, launching a new browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that lets users opt out of AI search results by setting noai.duckduckgo.com as their default search engine. On the no-AI search page, users won’t find AI-assisted answers, chat prompts, or the flood of AI-generated images.

DuckDuckGo is not anti-AI, however. The software company launched its own AI chatbot, Duck.ai, late last year. It has access to many popular models and offers a subscription plan that provides access to the latest models. Long before the AI backlash, DuckDuckGo was known as a privacy-first alternative to Google, given its strong data-protection features. Given that reputation, it’s no surprise that those frustrated with Google’s aggressive AI push are now flocking to the platform.

Why the backlash against Google’s AI Overviews?

AI has been plagued by concerns over accuracy. Even its strongest advocates acknowledge that fact-checking generated answers remains essential — and Google’s AI Overviews is no different. An analysis by AI start-up Oumi reveals that AI Overviews is accurate nine times out of 10. However, given Google’s estimated 5 tn searches per year, even a small margin of error could still result in tens of mns of inaccuracies. Google’s own analysis of Gemini 3, the model powering AI Overviews, found that it produces incorrect information 28% of the time.

Ungrounded answers: AI Overviews have shifted Google’s search results from clearly credited publishers to an aggregated layer of information that draws from multiple sources. The main concern is whether Google’s AI-generated answers are accurately linked to and grounded in the correct sources. Even if the model produces correct responses, the websites it links to more often than not don’t completely support the information provided. Ungrounded correct answers jumped from 37% in October last year to 56% this February. You may get the right answer — but how do you know it’s actually correct?

Facebook and Reddit are among the top-cited sources in Google’s AI Overviews. Yet another analysis by Oumi suggests a striking pattern: Facebook was cited 5% of the time in accurate responses, compared to 7% in inaccurate ones — raising further questions about reliability. Companies are catching on, with some even attempting to game the system by flooding popular platforms like Reddit with branded content in hopes of being picked up in Google’s AI search results.

Another challenge is the variability of Google’s system, which can produce different responses to identical queries submitted at different times, even seconds apart, meaning one answer may be accurate while another is not.

Publishers are bearing the brunt

Beyond concerns over accuracy, AI has also faced criticism for effectively “freeloading” off online publishers and websites, with attribution often vague and web traffic taking a hit.

To combat the issue, UK regulators yesterday demanded that Google set clear attribution and links to publishers’ content in its AI-generated search results. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) also announced that publishers can now opt out of allowing Google’s AI-generated tools to use their content. This new rule, to which Google already agreed, assures opted-out publishers that they may not be penalized by Google through downranking in general search results.

As traditional blue links give way to AI-generated answers, the need for clear rules and accountability will only grow. Whether Google’s AI-first vision prevails or users continue to favor traditional search experiences like DuckDuckGo, AI is still a technology that requires careful oversight — not just relentless integration.

Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures is a love letter to the best in humanity

📺 The world needs this kind of kindness: Following the massive success of the best-selling novel upon its debut in 2022, Netflix has adapted American author Shelby Van Pelt's debut work into a film of the same name Remarkably Bright Creatures, starring Sally Field, Alfred Molina, and Lewis Pullman. The film proves once again exactly why the book deserved all the hype.

The plot: At an aquarium, an old octopus named Marcellus (voiced by Molina) lives a lonely life, longing for his home in the ocean before an accident leads to his rescue and placement at the facility. Marcellus narrates the film in his own words, making it clear he has no patience for dull, foolish humans — with the sole exception of Tova (Field), the aquarium's janitor. Tova radiates warmth and kindness that immediately touches all three of Marcellus's hearts.

Bonds of loneliness and loss start to form as Marcellus and Tova find they share much in common. While he feels homesick for his natural habitat, Tova is coping with the memory of her young son, who drowned long ago. Meanwhile, pure chance brings a young man named Cameron (Pullman) to their small town. Cameron lives a solitary life on the road out of his large van, but after meeting Tova, they both discover that the companionship and love they are searching for might be much closer than they think.

What we liked: From the very first frame, viewers quickly realize they are watching one of those films that will stay with them forever. The movie sheds light on the depths of loss and loneliness in human hearts and on how much a person can crave comforting companionship. The acting feels incredibly genuine across the board, even from the supporting cast. However, Field — with her charm and soulful, tender eyes — steals the show as the ultimate embodiment of maternal and grandmotherly warmth. Molina's casting as the voice of Marcellus is also brilliant, proving that a master actor needs nothing more than his voice to convey sorrow, loneliness, and even the wit of a visually rendered creature.

The film is deeply human and emotional. In a world tangled in conflict, war, and ugliness, it offers a deliberate pause to remind us that humans, despite all their flaws, can truly be beautiful creatures. Sometimes, the magic of the universe shows up in the heart of an old woman overflowing with love and light for everything around her — so much so that she befriends an octopus who would do anything for her, and a lost young man searching for the love he was missing his entire life.

The verdict: This film delivers a deeply moving experience alongside rich, unforgettable visuals. If you are looking for the perfect family movie for tonight, this is it. Our only advice is to keep some tissues handy, just in case you find yourself crying as much as we did.

WHERE TO WATCH- The film is streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer on YouTube (watch, runtime: 2:23).

This weekend’s international friendlies heat up ahead of the World Cup

⚽ The international break continues with another packed slate of friendly matches as national teams fine-tune their squads ahead of the World Cup kick-off this month. Here is your guide to the key fixtures this weekend:

Iraq takes on Spain in a highly anticipated friendly at Riazor Stadium. The Lions of Mesopotamia are using the match to gear up for their second-ever World Cup appearance — their first since 1986. Kickoff is scheduled for 10pm tonight, with the match streaming on TOD.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia takes on Puerto Rico at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, with kick-off set for 2am on Saturday. The match will be broadcast live on the stc tv app. Later in the day, Tunisia faces Belgium at 4pm, with live coverage on Télévision Tunisienne 1.

Other matches to check out:

Northern Ireland vs. Guinea — 7pm, tonight;
France vs. Ivory Coast — 10:10pm, tonight;
Mexico vs. Serbia — 5am, Friday;
Angola vs. Botswana — 3pm, Friday;
Russia vs. Burkina Faso — 8pm, Friday;
Portugal vs. Chile — 8:45pm, Saturday;
United States vs. Germany — 9:30pm, Saturday;
England vs. New Zealand — 11pm, Saturday;
Qatar vs. El Salvador — 11pm, Saturday.

Midweek singalong with Aziz Maraka at Cairo Jazz Club 610

🎤 Aziz Maraka brings his blend of indie, jazz, and Arabic pop to Cairo Jazz Club 610 in Sheikh Zayed on Wednesday, 10 June. Known for turning every performance into a singalong, the Jordanian singer-songwriter is set to deliver an energetic evening packed with fan favorites. The show kicks off at 8pm — tickets are available on TicketsMarche.

What the markets are doing on 4 June 2026

The EGX30 rose 0.2% at today’s close on turnover of EGP 10.8 bn (31.6% above the 90-day average). Local investors were the sole net buyers. The index is up 25.9% YTD.

In the green: Emaar Misr (+4.7%), Ibnsina Pharma (+3.0%), and Juhayna (+2.8%).

In the red: Kima (-3.8%), Orascom Investment Holding (-3.4%), and Fawry (-3.3%).

THE ENTERPRISEPM ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

🗓️ JUNE

3-4 June (Wednesday-Thursday): Creative Industry Summit at Heartwork, iCity New Cairo.

5 June (Friday): Andrea Bocelli at the City of Arts and Culture in the New Administrative Capital.

5 June (Friday): Ramy Sabry at Tanza, 6th of October City.

5 June (Friday): Ali El Haggar: 100 Years of Singing at the Cairo Opera House, Zamalek.

5 June (Friday): Madinaty Half Marathon at Open Air Mall.

7 April - 8 June (Tuesday-Monday): Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience at District 5 by Marakez in New Cairo.

10 June (Wednesday): Aziz Maraka at CJC 610.

12 June (Friday): Anoushka at Ewart Memorial Hall, AUC Tahrir Square.

13 - 27 June (Saturday-Saturday): One Mn In Your Pocket - Real Estate Training at Tolip El Narges, New Cairo.

16 June (Tuesday): Islamic New Year.

16 June (Tuesday): Nostalgia Soiree with Ghassan Yammine at Ewart Hall, AUC Tahrir Square.

18 June (Thursday): Dr. Khaled Ghatttass at Al Manara Main Hall.

20 June (Saturday): Mohamed Helmy’s Globally Local 2nd Show at Cairo Stadium.

21 June (Sunday): Medhat Saleh at the Cairo Opera House, Zamalek.

16 April - 30 June (Thursday-Tuesday): Early bird registration for The Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon.

30 June (Tuesday): June 30th Revolution.

JULY

1 July - 2 November (Wednesday-Monday): General registration for The Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon.

23 July (Thursday): July 23rd Revolution 1952.

24 July (Friday): Adriatique at the North Coast.

AUGUST

7 August (Friday): Sherine at Porto Golf, Alamein City.

21 August (Friday): Black Coffee at Cubix North Coast.

25 August (Thursday): Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday.

SEPTEMBER

26 September (Saturday): John Achkar’s Feena Nehke at Theatro Arkan.

OCTOBER

1-4 October (Thursday-Sunday): She Arts festival across Cairo and Alexandria.

6 October (Tuesday): Armed Forces Day.

24 October (Saturday): Blue 25th Anniversary Tour at New Capital.

NOVEMBER

28 November (Saturday): Shakira at the Pyramids of Giza.

DECEMBER

11-12 December (Friday-Saturday): TheMarakezPyramids Half Marathon at the Pyramids of Giza.

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