Mozilla is working on an AI kill switch for the Firefox open-source web browser to let users completely disable all AI features.

After the controversial news shared earlier this week by Mozilla’s new CEO that Firefox will evolve into “a modern AI browser,” the company now revealed it is working on an AI kill switch for the open-source web browser.

On Tuesday, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo was named the new CEO of Mozilla Corporation, the company behind the beloved Firefox web browser used by almost all GNU/Linux distributions as the default browser.

In his message as new CEO, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo stated that Firefox will grow from a browser into a broader ecosystem of trusted software while remaining the company’s anchor, and that Firefox will evolve into a modern AI browser and support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions.

What was not made clear is that Firefox will also ship with an AI kill switch that will let users completely disable all the AI features that are included in Firefox. Mozilla shared this important update earlier today to make it clear to everyone that Firefox will still be a trusted web browser.

  • Nindelofocho@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1863·
    6 days ago

    Why not just ship it without any of the AI stuff and give users the option to install and use it instead of bloating the application? This also confirms that the stuff is essentially OPT OUT instead of OPT IN

    • candyman337@lemmy.worldEnglish
      541·
      6 days ago

      The bubble is AI and they want some of that bubble investor money is my guess, so they put optional AI

    • Tanoh@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      6 days ago

      In their defense a very tiny percentage of users even open options and of those an even smaller actually change stuff.

      Maybe slighlty different for Firefox as probably more power user use it than other random programs. But basically if something is not enabled by default, it doesn’t exist.

    • ceenote@lemmy.worldEnglish
      121·
      6 days ago

      Because they’re counting on people who know nothing about technology using the AI stuff when it’s placed in front of them.

    • tauonite@lemmy.worldEnglish
      82·
      6 days ago

      All AI features will also be opt-in. I think there are some grey areas in what ‘opt-in’ means to different people (e.g. is a new toolbar button opt-in?), but the kill switch will absolutely remove all that stuff, and never show it in future. That’s unambiguous.

      Sounds like they will be opt in, not opt out

      • tauonite@lemmy.worldEnglish
        52·
        6 days ago

        I don’t see why there is a big outrage. Sure I’m not a fan of the AI features and I certainly will disable them but it’s tot like they’re forced upon me. Some people like (want) AI in the browser and good for them, this makes the browser better and easier to use for them. For me, it doesn’t change my experience at all

        (Commented this separately on purpose)

        • Veedem@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          6 days ago

          I’ve been thinking the same thing. The online tech community is a very small part of a much larger pie and they need to serve multiple audiences. As long as it can be turned off and truly be off, who cares?