Firefox 148 introduces the promised AI kill switch for people who aren't into LLMs

3 min read Original article ↗
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Simon is a Computer Science BSc graduate who has been writing about technology since 2014, and using Windows machines since 3.1. After working for an indie game studio and acting as the family's go-to technician for all computer issues, he found his passion for writing and decided to use his skill set to write about all things tech.

Since beginning his writing career, he has written for many different publications such as WorldStart, Listverse, and MakeTechEasier. However, after finding his home at MakeUseOf in February 2019, he would eventually move on to its sister site, XDA, to bring the latest and greatest in Windows, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity topics.

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Summary

  • Tell Firefox "No thanks" to LLMs — one-click AI kill switch removes all AI enhancements.
  • Flipping it disables ChatGPT & sidebar chatbots, AI link previews, and smart tab suggestions.
  • Also adds telemetry opt-out and new tab groups; full release notes aren't posted yet.

Firefox is in a really weird position right now. Given how browsers are rapidly adopting AI, people who'd rather not use those tools are being left in the dark. Their only savior was Firefox; that is, until the new CEO of Mozilla publicly announced that they were going for an AI-focused plan.

Firefox caught a lot of flak from people who didn't want AI in their browsers, but the CEO wanted to still tap into the tech. The answer? Create an AI kill switch that, when flipped, will remove all AI enhancements from Firefox and will prevent the browser from recommending existing or new AI tools. That way, the people who want AI can use it, and the people who don't want AI can flick the switch and forget about it.

Well, if you were worried that the claims of an AI kill switch in Firefox were just a load of hot air, Mozilla has a present for you. Its newest version of its browser, Firefox 148, lets you tell the browser "No thanks" for AI features, and it only takes a few clicks.

The NordVPN add-on for Firefox shows the main login screen on Mac

Mozilla Firefox 148 introduces the AI kill switch

One click and you're done

Firefox on Bazzite

Interestingly, at the time of writing, the official Mozilla Firefox 148 page doesn't have any patch notes on it at all. Instead, it says that "We’re still preparing the notes for this release, and will post them here when they are ready." However, that hasn't stopped OMGUbuntu from getting stuck in with the new update and checking out all the new stuff.

The spotlight feature with Firefox 148 is the aforementioned AI kill switch. If you don't want to see AI on Firefox anymore, all you have to do is click on Settings > AI Controls. You'll then see a very bold and prominent option called 'Block AI Enhancements.' Hit that, and every AI tool gets disabled. And I say 'every,' I mean it; OMGUbuntu noted that flipping the switch stopped "ChatGPT and other chatbots in the sidebar, AI link previews, the (supposedly) smart tab group suggestions and others." Yeah, it hits everything.

Firefox 148 also introduces some nice new features, such as the ability to opt out of telemetry and the addition of some new tab groups. And while Mozilla hasn't quite revealed everything new in this update yet, you can still download it from the link above and see it for yourself.