With AI increasingly shaping the internet landscape, Kagi, a search engine based in Palo Alto, is adapting its curated selection of non-commercial, human-created websites for mobile access through newly launched “Small Web” applications for both iOS and Android. By Kagi’s standards, the “Small Web” comprises sites crafted by individuals, such as personal blogs, webcomics, independent videos, and more.

These types of sites were fundamental to the early web, prior to the rise of ad-driven business models and platforms dominated by large enterprises. They are also the kinds of sites that have become more challenging to locate on the modern web, saturated with content that is often infused with, if not directly created by, AI.

The search startup unveiled its “Small Web” initiative in 2023, aimed at elevating this content within its search results and through a dedicated web portal. In March, the company revealed it is broadening these initiatives with browser extensions, mobile applications, and options to filter results by category.

The Small Web website functions similarly to a contemporary StumbleUpon, randomly showcasing one of the chosen sites and allowing users to click a “next” button to transition to another. Much like StumbleUpon, the intention is to guide users in discovering parts of the web they might not have found otherwise.

With the incorporation of categories, users can now refine their exploration to specific topics of interest from the over 30,000 “Small Web” sites present in Kagi’s index.

These features are also integrated into Kagi’s newly released mobile applications for iOS and Android, as well as its browser extensions. Here you can choose the specific types of content you’re interested in, such as videos, blogs, code repositories, or comics. Users can also access lists of recently viewed or trending sites and indulge in a distraction-free reading mode. Additionally, you can bookmark your favorite sites and articles for future reference.

While the push to enhance visibility of lesser-known parts of the indie web is commendable — particularly in an era when AI-generated output often simulates human work — some users of Kagi express frustrations that the Small Web initiative isn’t sufficiently comprehensive.

On the discussion platform Hacker News, one user highlighted that Kagi restricts its collection to sites with RSS feeds that feature recent posts, excluding unique, singular-purpose websites or experimental pages from its assortment. Another expressed frustration upon encountering a so-called “Small Web” site that appeared to have been generated by AI.

Nevertheless, the idea of a human-curated web composed of content created by people could be a valuable project, especially if Kagi’s initial vision of becoming a paid alternative to Google does not materialize.

In the meantime, individuals can propose new sites for the Small Web through its GitHub page.