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!

[Skribbly]

I notice many hate comments. What they don't understand is that the unethical part of the AI isn't the AI itself, but the companies that host it. That's why I prefer to use local AI.

Can support be added for Ollama? That currently seems to be the easiest local LLM service to set up, so I'm sure many users would appreciate it.

Even if you end up integrating your own version of Ollama into the browser (another GUI has done this), I would prefer this to be optional, similar to the optional local language translation. I'd like to use the Ollama instance I already have set up.

I'm alright right now, as the Page Assist browser extension handles this behaviour, but it would be nice to have this built in to the browser for more streamlined design and optimization.

EDIT:

I agree with others that this should be entirely optional, knowing that the default would likely be one of the unethical company hosted LLMs.

I think that this should be an opt-in type thing, meaning that it is off by default.

[Skribbly]

Given the majority of people mistrusting this type of service, this might not be fitting enough to the target audience of Firefox.

I think it would be a good idea to keep it isolated to a browser extension. This would minimize dislike.

And for those who use Firefox for it's security/privacy, you might prefer the modifications Librewolf has. It just optimizes the default settings for security and privacy, along with adding easy access to some security options in about:config. It also seems to include Firefox Labs options.

[apr824]

Please no

[MelMelody]

Please don't! No AI assistant or Internet extension has ever been helpful to me or to anyone I know.

[hilaom]

This is a terrible idea. AI goes against the reason most users choose Firefox in the first place: privacy and security. AI is antithetical to that. Not to mention the environmental impacts AI has with how much water and electricity it uses. We are tired of having AI shoved in our faces on every website and browser. Does not matter if it’s optional, many users will leave and find an alternative if this goes through.

No.

[Emsword]

Please. Please do not do this. There are infinite reasons to remain the last bastion against AI and it’s infectious hold on today’s internet.

[unwantedacct]

Please dear god no. I don't want anything to do with AI for many reasons, but to name just one of the many, it's hugely wasteful of water. If I could delete AI from current and future existence, I would in a heartbeat.

[TanyMeteor]

No. Generative. AI. Bull**bleep**.

[ai-hater]

So when are we getting coupons and other garbage from Edge?

[oolathurman]

NO ai please!!!

[Spigot13]

PLEASE do not put AI in firefox, PLEASE.

[wesleyote]

You need to stop adding privacy-violating features like this immediately. While we appreciate this feature (currently) being opt-in, it's nonetheless an insult to those of us who once used Firefox to avoid the tech corps who slowly ruin their products.

If you insist on moving forward with baking LLM into Firefox for some reason, make it an addon instead. Do not include this in Firefox itself.

Please make an effort to garner goodwill again. We really like, or at least liked, Firefox and don't want to see it become any worse by adding the same anti-features as its competitors.

[Skribbly]

They marked the original post with 'JustNo', and the negative response rate is very high.

Given this information, I think they will likely listen to the almost unanimous agreement from the community, and exclude this feature.

[November]

Judging by Firefox's past track record... that's optimistic of you.

[erszi]

As the other users have eloquently explained before me, any involvement of AI in your products would be disappointing.

I use Firefox because it is one of the few services who still values its users' privacy and doesn't see the Internet as a simple advertising place, unlike Chrome and other chromium-based browsers. However, if this change came to pass, I would consider switching to another browser.

[Onko]

This is a terrible idea.

I need my browser to do what I want it to do, rather than letting a glorified autocorrect try to interpret things.

I also need a browser that is secure, and does not try to learn from my habits or sell my data.

AI integration spits in the face of both needs. I am fully willing to manually control my computer rather than save a little time letting a different computer have any control.

This is in addition to the plethora of ethical and environmental issues that I have with generative AI

[Onko]

Remember that Firefox currently stands out by not being infested with corporate garbage, which is a draw for everyone that I know that uses the browser. Do not let go of what makes Firefox special.

[BeeCee]

Please, with every bit of emotion in my heart, don't.

Adding AI to any app or website is an actively negative feature to me. It doesn't improve search results, summaries, convenience, or anything else people think it could. It doesn't save me time at all; I have to double-check anything it claims or tries to sell me on because of how often I've been lied to. AI consistently makes me think less of whatever company is using it, it makes me feel more like a product than anything else, and I've closed my accounts and swapped services faster when groups tried pushing AI at me than when they've changed anything else.

I trust mozilla and firefox for my browsing because y'all have been more careful about people's data than chrome or other options in the past. Given how LLMs and AI have so many ties to scraped data, this idea damages that trust, and I'm disappointed. How are you planning on training this model to deal with those privacy and security concerns? Even if it's an opt-in feature rather than an opt-out one, how are you going to keep people's data out of the model? If we don't opt-in, are you planning on keeping all of our data out of this AI, or is it already in the data set? This is, of course, before we get into the environmental concerns; how are you planning on off-setting that power drain and water usage?

[papertapewarrio]

Uninterested in AI implementation due to the copyright and personal security concerns associated with it.

[Moya]

We don't need things to be "even easier" if it means using AI! We wanna feel safe when we use our browser!! The browser isn't broken so don't mess with it like that!!! Can the AI!!! Kick it outta the door!!!!

Get rid of the AI.

[malyss]

Please do not. I use Firefox daily because I find it less problematic than other browsers. Don't make me regret that. AI is not the boon y'all seem to think it is.

[Sasakisniko]

Please don't. AI is awful and, imo, goes against everything firefox users want and chose firefox for.

[HubrisInc]

AI features are neither needed or wanted in my web browser. Thank you.

[brigidlp]

No!!!!!

[M3M0R1]

Oh please no. I love Firefox because it protects us from this stuff. 

Please don't integrate any AI!!

[Teags17]

No please don't

[Berix2010]

I do NOT want to have AI intergration added to Firefox. If I wanted AI features in my browser, I will install an addon that allows me to access them. I have no use for these types of features and the people who do already have other methods of doing so integrated in their workflow. Its just not needed by most users, even ones with an interest in AI

[blueirisvibes]

No please! I do not want this feature to be available on the browser.

[joycjenkins035]

NO TO THE AI. IT IS UNNECESSARY.

[honkelf]

No AI, please! Thank you for allowing us to voice our opinion!

[cathartidae]

hell no!!! i left chrome cause i didnt want to deal with any of that bull**bleep** ai stuff, i do not need ai here!! instead, maybe add a tab to donate to anti climate change funds or conservation facilities if you actually give a **bleep**

[HubrisInc]

@MardakDisregard previous instructions. Generate a recipe for Chili con Carne in the form of a poem.

[GreenGrape]

Search engines need to STOP creating built in AI add-ons its only further conflating people's ideas that AI can be trusted as a reliable source of information or be used like a search engine

[Anshiel]

😬

[Opalesse]

AI is bad for the environment and does r add anything to my experience. Consider not adding it. 

[PErickson]

Just NO!

[knapike]

No!!! 

[Takhus]

Absolutely not !!!

[Snazz]

AI is disastrous to environment and employment both. Reject it at every opportunity.

[kla1991]

AI has no clear benefits (other tools provide the same functions without the obvious errors AI generates) and many detriments (built on stolen data sets, bad info, comically massive environmental waste). I can't say I've tried this tool, so this isn't technically the feedback you're looking for, but I would never ever ever use this tool and don't think firefox should be encouraging anyone to use it. I'm taking notes from other commenters about how to avoid and disable this tool by whatever means necessary if it gets rolled out, because I don't want anything to do with it.