In response to user feedback on AI integration, Mozilla announced today that the next Firefox release will let users disable AI features entirely or manage them individually.
You can put it right in the user’s face when they install or update, but the default should be off.
Yeah, they should introduce a button to enable AI, not disable it. This implicit consent bullshit is getting old.
And even if you enable it, it should work with local LLMs. And at least from the article it doesn’t appear to be the case.
…and sidebar access to chatbots (including Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Le Chat Mistral).
The sidebar chatbots is something you have to explicitly interact with, so no it’s not using remote LLMs without your input. Every other feature is local.
I know it’s not using them without my input, what I’m saying is that there should be a local option.
A local option with enough sophistication to impress anyone would have terrible performance on the vast majority of PCs and laymen would takeaway a bad impression without understanding why
Off by default please. AI should never be anything but an opt in for everyone involved along every step of the way.
God, finally. Now make AI shit opt-in
I’m happy to see movement from Mozilla on this, and I agree with those who say the AI “features” should be opt-in, or left out altogether. However, Mozilla’s embracing of AI has already pushed me to Waterfox on mobile and Zen on desktop and I like them and don’t currently plan to return to vanilla Firefox.
The new AI controls panel will also enable users to manage five AI-powered features individually: browser translations, alt text generation for images in PDFs, AI-enhanced tab grouping with suggested names, link previews showing key points, and sidebar access to chatbots (including Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Le Chat Mistral).
I’m glad for that. I don’t want most of these things, but the translation feature is very useful, runs locally, and only activates when I click it. I intend to keep it enabled and switch off the rest.
So much back and forth over a switch for an expensive bloat that no one wants. Just browse. That’s all that is wanted here. Browse.
Excellent.
Hmm, curious now what blind people think about using AI to navigate the web. Actually seems like it could be good, having something that can just describe what’s on the page to you
Make a firefox ai extentionnpeople can choose to get
So i dont have to deal with that shit
[sarcastic slow clapping intensifies]
Good start. Now remove it entirely.
Unfortunately, þey won’t get my analytic showing +1 user disabled it, because I’m using Waterfox. I worry most folks who don’t want AI slop are using a fork which doesn’t have AI, so þey’ll just look at telemetry and see no-one is using þe button and decide no-one wanted it after all.
