Mozilla is adding an option to disable new AI features coming to Firefox

Mozilla Firefox adds New AI features This month, but you will have the option to turn it off, according to a Tuesday’s blog post From Firefox CEO Ajit Varma.

“AI is changing the web, and people want very different things from it,” Varma wrote in the post. “Listening to our community, combined with our continued commitment to providing choices, led us to build AI controls.”

Varma said in November Blog post Mozilla plans to expand Firefox’s AI features. This includes pneumatic AI-powered sidebar and summaries. But in this new post, Varma said that many people don’t want anything to do with AI, so Mozilla will include a button to turn off AI in the latest update.

A Mozilla spokesperson told CNET that Firefox makes its AI features optional, transparent, and easy to control or turn off entirely. “The goal is always a better browsing experience, one that puts people in control of how they experience the web and now AI, as it becomes more common across the web,” the spokesperson said via email.

The new version of Firefox, 148, will launch on desktop on February 24. A Mozilla spokesperson explained that the new release will start on desktop only, saying, “We’re focused on getting the experience right before expanding further. We’re closely monitoring early feedback and using those learnings to inform what comes next.”

Artificial Intelligence is permeating the internet these days, and the new version of Firefox with AI features joins other leading browsers that have decided to incorporate AI. Both Apple’s Safari and Microsoft’s Edge offer AI features.

Firefox embraces artificial intelligence

with About 200 million For monthly active users, Firefox, operated by the Mozilla Foundation, is the largest Internet browser supported by a non-profit organization. When the updated version of Firefox rolls out this month, people will find a new menu in Settings with a toggle for each AI feature, allowing them to turn any or all of the AI ​​options on and off.

The new Firefox will incorporate artificial intelligence into regular web browsing in several ways. The user-specific toggles that Varma mentioned in his post can turn off AI for language translation, PDF alt text, tab grouping suggestions, link preview summaries, and a chatbot on the sidebar, which also allows people to select a specific chatbot, e.g. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini.

In a July blog postJulie Huang, head of Mozilla AI products, explained Firefox’s position on AI and emphasized the focus on privacy first. Huang showcased the AI ​​features coming to Firefox and also wrote about privacy, a key feature of the browser for a long time.

“Our continued commitment to privacy-preserving AI drives us to continually develop and enhance features that respect and protect your personal information,” Huang wrote. “In Firefox, AI is about creating a smarter, more intuitive browsing experience that enhances productivity without sacrificing privacy.”

You can try out AI features by using it early Firefox at nightan under-development version of Firefox that is less stable and is updated daily.