Share your feedback on the AI services experiment in Nightly

[asafko]

Hi folks, 

In the next few days, we will start the Nightly experiment which provides easy access to AI services from the sidebar. This functionality is entirely optional, and it’s there to see if it’s a helpful addition to Firefox. It is not built into any core functionality and needs to be turned on by you to see it. 

If you want to try the experiment, activate it via Nightly Settings > Firefox Labs (please see full instructions here). 

We’d love to hear your feedback once you try out the feature, and we’re open to all your ideas and thoughts, whether it’s small tweaks to the current experience or big, creative suggestions that could boost your productivity and make accessing your favorite tools and services in Firefox even easier.

Thanks so much for helping us improve Firefox!

[Crazybookworm31]

I moved over to Firefox expressly because you were a reliable browser that seemed to care about the privacy and user experience of its users, introducing AI, even experimentally spits in people's faces. Generative AI for search features has already been proven to be a disastrous move by Google, don't follow in their footsteps, I feel like I'm scolding a child. "If all your friends jumped off a bridge would you do it too?" 

AI cannot tell the difference between reliable sources and untrustworthy ones, and putting it into practice in any capacity beyond data analysis on which is was solely trained is a horrible idea. It takes ridiculous amounts of money and energy to run, destroys jobs because tech people think its a shiny new toy and fire everyone for the sake of "automation," it makes the user experience harder, and provides incorrect information, even when only used as customer service chats. It is not worth it in any capacity and the fact that this is considered at all disgusts me. Do better.

[megid0nt]

I primarily use a web browser to make HTTP requests and view the results, and have been upset with the creep of web content dependent upon javascript weakening security consciousness; it's now commonplace to assume users will run code sight unseen, and acceptable to be hostile to those who refuse. If you have a problem with it there is no recourse, this is just what the internet is now -- get with it or leave.

Given what I've seen in the past, where browser technology grows to grant functionality without consideration of coherence and safety it does so at the expense of the userbase and to the enrichment of those with the ability to take advantage. I don't even need to download suspicious files to run malicious code nowadays -- my browser streamlines my online experience!

I don't think that means JavaScript shouldn't have been put in web browsers. But how can a browser have JS and not either run every script sight unseen or, in the face of the modern world, subject every user to the most intense alarm fatigue possible?

What I worry about with these service integrations is not their integration as they are now, but where they're going. What I worry about is the role we play in accepting the transition of web technology and what role Mozilla will play -- if we end up as the only browser not offering these services, users seeking them will go elsewhere and get themselves hurt worse, but if Mozilla embraces them, how can they genuinely protect user data security and prevent the fatigue that 45 requests for personal data in an hour can have? Like it or not, one day I will be hungover and check the "don't ask again" box when prompted, as would anyone, and acting otherwise will put your userbase in danger.

[PomegranateABB]

Can we please not? At the very least I want an option to completely disable this function when it rolls out, but I’d rather not have it at all. If I wanted to be dealing with AI crap, I’d still be using Chrome.

[RustyMachine]

I'd rather you beat me to death with a metal pipe

[toxicapricity]

I hadn't heard about this until now, but I am considering changing browsers now that I know you're implementing AI into the browser. I don't care that it's "opt-in", I never trust what a company is doing with my data once they start using AI in my face, without asking its users if that's what they wanted. Just because business people and tech bros are raving about it doesn't mean that it's a good feature that your users would appreciate.

[Crazybookworm31]

If you actually care about your users like you claim you'll see everyone BEGGING you not to add AI and actually listen. You have no ideas the depths of inconvenience I am willing to fall to to avoid AI. I will leave Firefox, I will leave it all, don't test me

[bmcnama]

I will change browsers if this is shipped.

[dlight98]

Please don't add AI

[Amcr23]

No, man, don't do it. Absolute drain on electricity and water resources, horrible for IP holders, and worst of all annoyingly bad at what it's even supposed to do. Just drop this all together, Mozilla, youre beautiful how you are, stay focused on the everything else you do so well.

[SimonTesla]

I'm really f'ing tired of getting AI crap shoved in my face. So no, my feedback is that this is a waste of time already.

[Dvy]

I speak for many long time Firefox users when I say that if I wanted big tech hype garbage shoved down my throat I'd use Chrome. Make this an add-on so that those who want it can have it. Most users do NOT.

[TinyelStarlight]

The entire reason I use Firefox is that you're supposed to be more ethical than companies like Google. If you're going to just jump onto the AI trend despite all of the ethical problems with it, then you're completely useless and I will dump you just like I dumped Google chrome.

Are you trying to alienate your users? Because this seems designed to do exactly that.

[SkipfordJ]

I would rather change my browsers, my kids' browsers, and actively campaign against a browser (as I do with Chrome, Edge, etc.) than have any level of "AI" in my browser.

It is a black box that by design cannot be examined to earned trust. Please do not do this.

[essia]

I'm going to break the unanimity here. Most concerns on AI privacy are valid, but don't take into account (or maybe don't trust) the Mozilla AI initiative, based on Mozilla's values for privacy. AI doesn't have to be doubtful, misleading, untrustworthy. It can be trained on reliable and honestly acquired data, and ran locally with llamafiles. I disagree with the use of big tech models in the browser, but I think Mozilla AI can come up with great ideas, all based on Mozilla's core values.

[SkipfordJ]

While this may be true at the current time, there are no safeguards in place for this to be kept ethical in the long term. How many changes in the managerial chain in a single engineering team would it take for that to collapse? And with all the data gathered with the trust of Mozilla's core values? It's a precarious thing.

The only way to be assured, in this case, that this trust isn't breached is to not use it.

[cyan1]

AI is also wildly inefficient using huge amounts of water (for cooling) and electricity. I also don't trust Mozilla, or any AI program itself. There are many examples of AI programs doing something they were not supposed to do or going against company policy. So even IF Mozilla doesn't want their AI to violate privacy it might do it anyway.

Finally just because an AI's training data is accurate, that doesn't mean when the AI chews it up and spits it back out, it will remain accurate. Say I write an article debunking a conspiracy, and explain the contents of the conspiracy, the ai (not capable of actual thought or reading comprehension) might regurgitate that conspiracy theory to someone and not the surrounding debunk.

[xinit]

A "solution" looking for a problem.l, adding AI features in. What's the next cutting edge "feature" coming up? NFTs?

[tealtackle]

Why on earth are you trying to bring back Clippy? But worse?

I feel like as coders you shouldn't need this but I guess your executives aren't coders, so make them watch it: https://youtu.be/9Q3R8G_W0Wc?si=U229wyFTJYOz4hyM

I know you're in financial crisis with the loss of Google's bribe money but the losses from trying to jump on this overhyped, already-popping bubble will finish Mozilla off. I just hope somebody saves an Android fork that can handle uBlock Origin.

[Rubenstr]

Can we please do literally anything else

[Anonymous]

Please do not go through with this. I use Firefox specifically because it is privacy oriented and does not include AI. Seeing it being added to Firefox now is very demoralizing.

If you wish to still include it, please make it an extension instead so it's 100% optional. Not everyone wants this and it shouldn't be forced on those of us who do not want it.

[0m3g45n1p3r4lph]

---

@asafko wrote:

Hi folks, 

In the next few days, we will start the Nightly experiment which provides easy access to AI services from the sidebar. This functionality is entirely optional, and it’s there to see if it’s a helpful addition to Firefox. It is not built into any core functionality and needs to be turned on by you to see it. 

If you want to try the experiment, activate it via Nightly Settings > Firefox Labs (please see full instructions here). 

We’d love to hear your feedback once you try out the feature, and we’re open to all your ideas and thoughts, whether it’s small tweaks to the current experience or big, creative suggestions that could boost your productivity and make accessing your favorite tools and services in Firefox even easier.

Thanks so much for helping us improve Firefox!

---

Do not do this. Firefox is what we use to try to avoid this sort of stuff, do not add it here.

[WONDER]

PLEASE do not. I use Firefox to get AWAY from the nonsense other browsers are using, INCLUDING introducing AI into the browser. Do not introduce AI!!

[yesenia]

terrible idea not only does it help spread misinformation it also clutters everything 

[Adularia]

The fact that you haven't shovelled garbage into your browser like Google has is one of your biggest selling points. Do not throw that away. Let your competitors waste their money and time and resources on the dead-end of "AI", don't make the same mistake. You will haemorrhage users if you implement AI crap and ruin the product you are trying to sell. It is a waste of your money, a waste of electrical energy, and will make your service worse.

[SkyeBye]

No. Please don't do it.

[rubensmuse]

I'd prefer if AI tools be kept minimal for Firefox. I've seen evidence to support them not yet being at a stage where they can summarize and provide accurate information and summaries of complex articles (two features the proposed AI would provide, according to the link) and not simply repeat/formulate false information.

[Karasu]

No. If I want to use AI there are a million ways to do so that aren't attached to my main browser.

I don't want my data to be exploited and stolen for the sake of developing that AI, I don't want other people's data to be fed into it and I think most searches done with AI are pretty bad.

Just stop trying to shove AI in every goddamn thing we use

[PrinceofMoths]

I would highly advise you not to implement ai services into firefox, even as an option. A lot of people (including me) are specifically using firefox because it hasn't been ruined by ai yet and including it as an option would turn a huge portion of your userbase away. Please do not give in to fads and compromise the user experience of your browser in the process.

[WizardOfDocs]

Adding AI to Firefox negates the main reason people use Firefox, which is to avoid the advertising, systemic art theft, and privacy-stealing antifeatures that other browsers use as selling points. AI integration will drive away your existing users, it will not make Firefox able to compete for revenue with Chrome, and it will not convince new users to abandon Chrome in favor of Firefox.

You're killing your best product and making the internet a worse place as a result. Stop it.

[avenging_detect]

My thoughts are that AI can only harm your search engine. Please do not use AI.

[DenkiKalamari]

• I really think adding AI is a horrible idea, even with the ability to turn it off. AI isn't just a preference for a lot of users, its the principal. AI uses up a ton of energy and is trained regardless of weather or not some users turn it off, meaning that just the presence of AI as an option in Firefox tells us art and people's work are being used or stolen to train it. And beyond that, the main appeal of Firefox is that its a completely seperate alternative to Google Chrome for people that are tired of big company's bull**bleep**. The fact that Firefox hasn't given in to the unwanted AI trends yet is a huge feature. If users really wanted AI features (which, from my experiences and what I've seen on social media, we don't) we'd just use the **bleep** baked into every big search engine out there. There is no shortage of AI bull**bleep** in the market today, but there is a frustrating shortage of AI-free spaces on the internet. Firefox has been a refreshing escape from bull**bleep** out here, the last thing you need is to start copying it.

[Straw-Berry]

Please don't. I'm trying to find places without AI, and I don't feel like this is a feature Firefox needs at all. Please please please don't toss aside Firefox's main selling point (privacy) just to jump on this bandwagon.

[samww]

Please do not do this. Generative AI is destroying the internet and you would be playing right into that.

[crabwonton]

Popular AI services violate the privacy of individuals and use an unconscionable amount of energy. What AI produces is fundamentally mediocre-at-best and flawed and dangerous at worst. It's training datasets are unethically scraped from non-consenting soruces. I use Firefox because I trust the Mozilla Foundation to oppose such practices.

[NymmK]

I have no desire to contribute to the exploitative use of generative AI. I don't want my data to be scraped to power chat bots that eat up water and power. Firefox is an escape from so much of the destructive trend chasing in internet browsers. I don't want AI!

[Mad214]

No. Do not. Bad. None of this.

[teight]

I am glad its an optional feature, but I will be looking for a new browser after this update.

[Trisana]

I'm another voice adamantly opposed to any AI integration into firefox as a whole. If it must be made, make it something optional that must be downloaded and installed by users who want it, not integrated into the rest of the browser.

[Keedrin]

No joke or exaggeration at all, if you forcibly integrate "AI services" into Firefox im switching to a different browser immediately, Full Stop. I picked up Firefox because of the work yall had done in making clear that it was a privacy-focused browser where I *wouldnt* have garbage like this forced on me, if you start forcing it onto the browser then what point is there in sticking around?

[pacohope]

I'm sorry it's so passionately negative, but that's the nature of unasked-for AI features. It's well-documented that consumers are put off by AI features. (example1, example2) Balanced against the overwhelming negative sentiment, Mozilla has put forward some really tepid and uninteresting benefits and use cases:

• Summarize the excerpt and make it easier to scan and understand at a glance. It's pretty well established that LLMs don't do this. Studies have shown LLMs are bad at summarising. Shouldn't Mozilla make sure it actually does what they think it does before they put it in the browser and tell users that it does something?
• Simplify language. We find this feature handy for answering the typical kids’ “why” questions. That seems like an exceptionally weak motivation for spending extraordinarily scarce developer resources modifying the core browser. See above where it doesn't summarise accurately or correctly. The LLM is quite likely to make something incorrect while making it "simpler."
• Ask the chatbot to test your knowledge and memory of the excerpt. Seriously? I won't even dignify that with a counterargument.

I will continue to use Firefox. I still like it better than the alternatives. But when this feature makes it into an ESR version, I'm going to do whatever is required to disable it and I will never look back. I will never wonder whether that feature might have helped me.