When Firefox version 130 was released, a group of users started raising concerns about a new feature Mozilla added. Under the "Firefox Labs" section, it states:
Firefox now offers an easy way to try experimental features with a new Firefox Labs page in Settings.
- AI Chatbot feature lets you add the chatbot of your choice to the sidebar, for quick access as you browse.
- Picture-in-Picture auto-open experiment enables PiP on active videos when switching tabs.
The term "AI" apparently became a reason for some users to dismiss the product outright. It might be helpful to look into what this (optional) feature Mozilla added actually entails.
First off, there is no AI built into Firefox itself. When enabling the option, you are asked which service you want to use. This is an external service. Currently, you have the choice between:
After choosing one of these options, an additional toolbar appears. Depending on the chosen service, you might need to log in first. ChatGPT and HuggingChat appear to offer the free version, while the rest require logging in.
Okay, so what's the benefit? You can directly ask questions in this sidebar if you wish. That's not particularly special. The other feature is that when you select text on a page, an option appears:
Based on your text selection, you can directly generate a prompt with the task you specify.
The discussion that erupted revolves around privacy. Simply put, no data is shared with any LLM/AI service unless it's enabled, text is selected, and one of the above actions is performed.
In my opinion, this discussion stems from ignorance, as users haven't looked further into what it actually entails. It's unfortunate that a product like Firefox is being negatively evaluated because of this, while they have implemented a very clear optional feature without forcing it on anyone. Personally, I would love to see an option for a local installation of something like Ollama added, considering the emphasis on privacy.