Ask.com, the search engine beforehand recognized for its butler mascot named Jeeves, has formally shut down. Whereas Ask Jeeves was rebranded to Ask.com in 2006 by its new proprietor on the time, InterActiveCorp, this newest closure places an finish to the whole lot of the corporate’s search enterprise.
“As IAC continues to sharpen its focus, we’ve got made the choice to discontinue our search enterprise, which incorporates Ask.com,” the assertion on the web site reads. “After 25 years of answering the world’s questions, Ask.com formally closed on Might 1, 2026.”
The assertion ended by thanking its tens of millions of customers, and saying, “Jeeves’ spirit endures.” As unhappy as it’s to see a relic of the early Web days fade into obscurity, we nonetheless have Ask Jeeves to thank for why some customers nonetheless punch in full questions when querying Google. On high of that, Jeeves was constructed to offer detailed solutions in pure language, which might have arguably acted as a precursor to in the present day’s AI chatbots like ChatGPT.
Now, Ask.com joins the Web graveyard that features opponents like AltaVista, which shut down in 2013. With Ask.com gone, alongside AIM and AOL dial-up companies additionally sunsetting, we’re actually coming to an finish of a particular period of the Web.
