Firefox Moves to Make AI Optional for Users

Mozilla is giving users greater control over artificial intelligence features in its Firefox browser, introducing a dedicated AI controls section that will let people disable AI enhancements entirely or manage them individually, the company said.

Starting with Firefox version 148, rolling out from February 24, the desktop browser will introduce a dedicated AI controls section in its settings. 

The feature allows users to block all current and future generative AI features in Firefox or manage them individually, reflecting growing divisions over how much AI people want in their online experience.

Mozilla said the move follows feedback from users who either want AI tools to be more useful or want nothing to do with them at all. The new controls create a single place where users can review, enable, or disable AI-powered features without being prompted repeatedly to adopt them.

At launch, the AI controls cover features such as webpage translations, AI-generated alt text for images in PDFs, AI-assisted tab grouping, link previews that summarize content before opening a page, and a sidebar chatbot.

Firefox allows users to choose from external chatbots such as ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Mistral’s Le Chat.

For users who prefer a fully non-AI browsing experience, Firefox includes a “Block AI enhancements” toggle. When enabled, it disables all AI features and suppresses prompts related to future AI additions. Mozilla said these preferences will persist across browser updates but can be changed at any time.

The update comes amid scrutiny of how browser companies are introducing AI features by default, often without clear consent mechanisms. While Mozilla frames the change as user choice, it also signals an acknowledgement that AI adoption on the web is far from universally welcomed.

In earlier 2025 statements, Mozilla argued that the future direction of AI on the web is still unsettled and that product decisions play a major role in shaping outcomes. The organization has also highlighted its non-profit ownership structure, saying it allows profits to be reinvested into public-interest technology rather than shareholder returns.

Reactions online have been mixed. One X user welcomed Mozilla’s emphasis on community-driven development, calling collaboration “key to innovation.” Others, however, questioned whether such controls are a response to growing discomfort with AI features that users didn’t actively ask for in the first place.