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Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2025 11:17 pm
by Grogan
Mozilla is adding AI inference for processing the naming of tab groups, address bar completion (these have been currently rolled back I think) and an AI chatbot in the sidebar. THAT is still present, but can be unticked (mine was, and I don't ever use a sidebar or tab grouping)
I think this is the master setting to turn off all that inference junk. There are numerous individual settings for this "browser.ml" shit in there if you search for "browser.ml" (and that is a lower case L if the fonts don't make that clear... I don't know what it stands for)
toggles to false.
Just for good measure, I also toggled this to false:
P.S. browser.ml.chat.enabled removes the checkbox for AI chat in sidebar settings, which is still there with the master setting, so yes, false for that too.
Re: Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2025 7:03 am
by Zema Bus
Thanks, I encountered that annoying sidebar when I setup my mini computer and wasn't sure how to get rid of it. So far that's the only place I've seen it.
Re: Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2025 7:30 am
by Zema Bus
Although it sounds like they are going to double down on AI in Firefox, now there is at least going to be an AI kill switch.
After the
controversial news shared earlier this week by Mozilla’s new CEO that Firefox will evolve into “a modern AI browser,” the company now revealed it is working on an AI kill switch for the open-source web browser.
On Tuesday, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo was named the new CEO of Mozilla Corporation, the company behind the beloved Firefox web browser used by almost all GNU/Linux distributions as the default browser.
In his message as new CEO, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo stated that Firefox will grow from a browser into a broader ecosystem of trusted software while remaining the company’s anchor, and that Firefox will evolve into a modern AI browser and support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions.
What was not made clear is that Firefox will also ship with an AI kill switch that will let users completely disable all the AI features that are included in Firefox. Mozilla shared this important update earlier today to make it clear to everyone that Firefox will still be a trusted web browser.
“Something that hasn’t been made clear: Firefox will have an option to completely disable all AI features. We’ve been calling it the AI kill switch internally. I’m sure it’ll ship with a less murderous name, but that’s how seriously and absolutely we’re taking this,” said Firefox developer Jake Archibald on Mastodon.
In addition, Jake Archibald said that all the AI features that are or will be included in Firefox will also be opt-in. “I think there are some grey areas in what ‘opt-in’ means to different people (e.g. is a new toolbar button opt-in?), but the kill switch will absolutely remove all that stuff, and never show it in future. That’s unambiguous.“
Personally, I do hope Firefox will remain the same web browser I’ve been using for the past 20 years. As long as AI remains opt-in and it’s not shoved down our throats, I have no problem with that. The upcoming release, Firefox 147, is expected on January 13th, 2026, with support for the XDG Base Directory Specification.
Update: Mozilla has contacted me shortly after writing the story to confirm that the “AI Kill Switch” will be implemented in Q1 2026, as Mozilla’s new CEO Anthony Enzor-DeMeo also confirmed this earlier today on reddit, stating:
“To be successful Firefox should serve almost everyone. Browsers are a unique product, it’s a product that has to work for just about everyone on the planet. Developers, Linux users, students, parents, and people who never change a default setting. Their needs differ. Sometimes they conflict. My job is not to ignore one group to serve another. It is to make Firefox work for everyone without losing its core values.
Rest assured, Firefox will always remain a browser built around user control. That includes AI. You will have a clear way to turn AI features off. A real kill switch is coming in Q1 of 2026. Choice matters and demonstrating our commitment to choice is how we build and maintain trust.”
From
9to5linux.com
Re: Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2025 7:45 am
by Grogan
I heard about that, yeah. There should be a UI setting for that, people shouldn't have to use about:config directives.
It would be better if they spent their energy elsewhere, but as long as I don't have to suffer it.
A compile time switch would be better --bugger-off or something
Re: Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2025 10:24 am
by mlangdn
I've never seen the sidebar yet. Does this also turn off the AI Overview Response to a search query? That's always the first answer to a search. Its not always what I'm looking for, but sometimes pretty close. The answer under it is generally always correct - like it used to be.
Re: Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2025 5:36 pm
by Zema Bus
That one is coming from the search engine, it won't affect that. Yeah the search engine AI is hit or miss, depending on the importance of what I'm searching for sometimes it can save a little time, though I usually still check the sources it used to verify. It's often dead on, but other times it will be dead wrong. I've seen it just make stuff up. We already have dedicated standalone AI applications and we have AI in search engines so building it into browsers seems redundant and pointless.
Re: Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2026 11:37 pm
by Grogan
This is prominently in settings now in Firefox 148.0, a category of its own. It stuck out like a sore thumb when I went in to check to make sure they didn't enable anything I don't want (as I do with every release). Nobody will miss this.
firefox_aicontrols.jpg
(The things showing Blocked are already blocked by my about:config directives)
Unfortunately, they have tied actual significant features to AI now.
firefox_aicontrolwarn.jpg
I have blocked it anyway. I don't want anything to do with "AI". Fuck translations, then... kiss my ass (I don't need it in the browser, if I really need to translate some text I would just paste into search engine facilities). PDF files? Web browsers make lousy PDF viewers anyway, and why should it need "AI" to display image alt text? To make up its own? lol
The rest I don't care about.
Re: Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2026 12:02 am
by mlangdn
We will be assimilated....
Re: Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2026 8:12 am
by Zema Bus
..Resistance is futile
Re: Turn off AI in Firefox
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2026 8:42 am
by Grogan
Freedom is irrelevant. Self-determination is irrelevant. You must comply.
(or, for for assimilated AI... you must compile)