[…] European AI search engines plan index with merchant rankings. Germany-based CO2-neutral search engine Ecosia and France-based privacy-focused search engine Qwant have unveiled plans to create their own AI-powered European search index, providing merchants an alternative to Google. The joint venture — called the European Search Perspective — plans to break from Google and Bing ranking systems by early 2025, potentially shifting consumer spending as the new index prioritizes European businesses. The combined search companies will initially focus on French and German results. […]