Many makers of web browsers are evolving the browsers that they develop into AI-based browsers. How and to what degree depends much on the company or organization that is involved. From integrating options to chat with AI and basic AI features, such as getting a summary of a webpage, to agentic browsers, like Perplexity, that are designed to act on the user’s behalf.
Mozilla’s new CEO Anthony Enzor-DeMeo published his vision for the organization and its main software, Firefox, about a week ago. While much of what Enzor-DeMeo wrote resonated well with large parts of the community — turning Mozilla into the most trusted software company — it was a single pargraph that stood out and incurred the ire of parts of the community.
Firefox will grow from a browser into a broader ecosystem of trusted software. Firefox will remain our anchor. It will evolve into a modern AI browser and support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions.
While Enzor-DeMeo did state that “AI should always be a choice” and that it should be something that “people can easily turn off”, Firefox users expressed their concern over the AI-focus that the new Mozilla head described in the post.
The official Firefox for Web Developers account on Mastadon published several clarifications to address user concerns. The posts are attributed to Jake Archibald, who is Mozilla’s Web Developer Relations lead.
The main takeaways are the following two statements regarding AI:
- All Firefox AI features will be opt-in.
- Firefox will get a “kill-switch” for all AI features, which disables them completely.
Mozilla would introduce AI features in Firefox in a way that I would like all browsers to follow: make them opt-in, instead of opt-out. There are certainly users out there that use AI and will use AI features in browsers. Heck, some might even spring on the agentic-bandwagon and let AI buy stuff for them or to other things.
As long as this is optional, and not enabled by default, I would not mind much, especially if other features do not get pushed down the priority letter in favor of AI features.
How many browser users want AI in their browsers, or would start using the features once they land without knowing about them prior? I find that number hard to estimate. AI is a trend at the moment, and while companies have created some useful features powered by AI, it has not been proven yet that AI is a feature that can sustain itself once the hype ebbs down.
Now it is your turn. Have you tried AI features in browsers or elsewhere already? Is there anything that you liked in particular, or did not like? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
Tried it, then went back to using browsers that did not have AI or let me turn it off.
I do not want an “AI browser”, let me control what I see please.
I do however love the “AI Summary” that pops up now at the top of search results. (I use DDG) The information I’m looking for is usually right there in the summary.
I do understand that the AI is getting that info from all the sites that will be listed below that I do not want to visit because I’ll be inundated with the ads that support those sites.
It does create a mulitfaceted dilemma.
Note: My personal “local” AI helped me remember how to spell “inundated”.
It sounds like Mozilla’s new CEO is now in damange control mode. I hope his “vision” isn’t as dimwitted as Microsoft’s CEO, Mr Nadella.
Personally, before liking or not, adopting or not whatever feature (browser, OS) my main concern is all in the opt-out availability. If Mozilla drowns in the AI hysteria its their problem as long as a true, total opt-out is available. When I say “true, total” I mean an opt-out free of any remaining code code tied to AI.
Side-note: is it not surprising that most of us worship any new stuff whilst others hate without any nuance and, worse, condemn a browser, an OS which forces AI with a browser which only — as it seems – plans to integrate AI with users’ full freedom to refuse it? Over-reactions everywhere, hate or worship, even for non-events. Good Lord: 99% of life is neither black or white bur gray, for the best as for the worst, but that’s how life goes: like a coin which never falls on either side but remains oscillating. Otherwise we’d have no life at all, life which is all in an equilibrium managed in a tiny window of circumstances. I think we need to pause irrational feelings and re-boot our brains.
Not particularly a fan of AI. But I’m increasingly using the AI-sidebar in Firefox for searches because regular search engines now deliver page after page of of AI-generated SEO crap results instead of anything useful. So AI’s main function for me is helping me avoid AI. This is far from ideal but we work with what we have…
As long as Mozilla keeps the AI features opt-in, I’m okay with it. If they make a U-turn on this, I will ditch Firefox.
BTW, Alex Kontos has promised to keep Waterfox clean. https://www.waterfox.com/blog/no-ai-here-response-to-mozilla/