Mozilla has announced that Firefox will soon enable users to block all current and future generative AI features. The update also allows users to disable specific AI features while retaining others.
Firefox 148, set to roll out on February 24, introduces a new AI controls section in the desktop browser settings. Activating the “Block AI enhancements” toggle prevents access to any AI features and eliminates pop-ups or reminders for existing or upcoming tools.
The controls permit individual management of features such as Translations, which enables browsing in a preferred language; Alt text generation in PDFs; AI-enhanced tab grouping; link previews; and the sidebar AI chatbot. The chatbot supports services including Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Le Chat Mistral.
“AI is changing the web, and people want very different things from it,” Mozilla stated in a blog post. “We’ve heard from many who want nothing to do with AI. We’ve also heard from others who want AI tools that are genuinely useful. Listening to our community, alongside our ongoing commitment to offer choice, led us to build AI controls.”
The announcement follows Mozilla’s appointment of Anthony Enzor-DeMeo as CEO in December 2023. Enzor-DeMeo indicated that the company plans to invest in AI and integrate features into Firefox, but emphasized their optional nature. “AI should always be a choice — something people can easily turn off. People should know why a feature works the way it does and what value they get from it,” he wrote in a blog post.
Mozilla operates amid intensifying browser competition. Firefox and Google Chrome held dominance for over a decade, but now face challenges from Perplexity, Arc, OpenAI, and Opera.
Alongside new AI features, Mozilla prioritizes transparency and accountability. CNBC reported last week that Mozilla President Mark Surman is forming a “rebel alliance of sorts” comprising tech startups, developers, and public-interest technologists. This group aims to enhance AI trustworthiness and curb the influence of companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
Mozilla intends to allocate approximately $1.4 billion from its reserves to back tech businesses and nonprofits, including its own initiatives. These investments target AI transparency and address the rapid expansion of dominant players with limited oversight.
