Ask.com, the search engine and Q&A service formerly known as Ask Jeeves, has officially shut down after 30 years of operation. The platform, which pioneered natural language queries, was acquired by IAC in 2005 but struggled to compete with dominant players like Google. The closure marks the end of an era for one of the early web's iconic search brands.
Background
Ask Jeeves was an early search engine launched in 1996 that allowed users to ask questions in natural language, predating modern AI chatbots. It was acquired by IAC in 2005 and rebranded as Ask.com but never achieved significant market share against Google.
- Source
- TechCrunch
- Published
- May 3, 2026 at 05:11 AM
- Score
- 5.0 / 10