AI in Firefox

Mozilla are currently receiving some backlash over their AI experiments within their Firefox browser. Some users are expressing their dissatisfaction and anger towards Mozilla for working on AI features, which I think is easily understandable.

Firefox is one of the most important applications on my system. Not only that, I use Firefox because I believe (rightly or wrongly) that it represents one of the last bastions of freedom when it comes to web browsers. I hold Mozilla in high regard and respect their stance on user privacy and security. I have placed my trust in Mozilla and in case it's not obvious, I hold Firefox dearly. This is why I can easily understand the backlash aimed at Mozilla.

On the Mozilla website they clearly state that they are:

Mission-driven. People-powered.

We’re not a normal tech company. The things we create prioritise people and their privacy over profits. We exist to make the internet a healthier, happier place for everyone.

I'm not sure generative AI fits with that statement. It's definitely not people-powered. It doesn't prioritise people and privacy over profits. And, I can't see how it makes the internet healthier -- if anything, it has been doing the complete opposite, making it too easy for unscrupulous folk to flood the web with AI generated slop.

AI is not something I want from Mozilla. What I do want from Mozilla is a web browser that is fast, efficient, private and secure. If I want to use a generative AI service, l want to be able to enter the URL of that service into my browser's address bar and go to the website, you know, just like how any other website works.

I will continue to use Firefox, but I hope that the people at Mozilla listen to their users. Some of the feedback they have received may not be the most constructive, but I don't think there is any doubt about the strength of feelings being shared. If Mozilla do listen, I think they would do well to adopt a similar stance to AI that the creators of Procreate have:

Generative AI is ripping the humanity out of things. Built on a foundation of theft, the technology is steering us toward a barren future. We think machine learning is a compelling technology with a lot of merit, but the path generative AI is on is wrong for us.

We're here for the humans. We're not chasing a technology that is a moral threat to our greatest jewel: human creativity.

Now that's a strong message and one that I would happily get behind.