"On May 1, the service's owner, IAC, discontinued the brand and posted a goodbye on the Ask website to the millions who remember its dot-com-era rise."
"As IAC continues to sharpen its focus, we have made the decision to discontinue our search business, which includes Ask.com."
"For years, the Jeeves character was portrayed by dozens of actors at trade shows, as a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade character multiple years, and even appeared in Super Bowl commercials in 1999."
"Jeeves was, in its time, the personification of a helpful internet guide, predating the chatbots that now occupy the anthropomorphic online help space today."
IAC has officially discontinued Ask.com and its mascot Jeeves as of May 1, 2026. The service, which launched in June 1997, was rebranded from Ask Jeeves to Ask.com in 2006. The decision to close the search business reflects IAC's focus on other priorities. Jeeves was a prominent character, appearing in various media and events, and was once named Oprah's favorite search engine in 2008. The future of the character remains uncertain as IAC has not announced any plans for revival or repurposing.
Read at CNET
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