Tell HN: It's now impossible to disable all AI features in Firefox 145 (latest)

17 points by pera 4 hours ago

There is a long list of about:config settings that allow users disable most of the recently introduced AI chatbot features in Firefox but unfortunately not all:

AI Context Menu is still displayed if browser.ml.chat.enabled is set to false:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1994785

"Ask an AI Chatbot" context menu is not hidden, even if Machie Learning is disabled:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1995119

Mozilla has pretty much ignored this issue for an entire month.

RandomBacon 4 minutes ago

Does any software have a survey for what users want? Instead of immediately pushing AI, they should have pushed a survey where AI was one of the choices/questions.

roscas 3 hours ago

On LibreWolf 145.0.1-2 those options are still available. I set all to false. But for these AI options and many others and also not only for Firefox/LibreWolf, you do need to block the connections. Don't rely on disabling options because most will not respect that. If Firefox goes this path and break LibreWolf, we need to switch to a decent browser and there are a few, still blocking connections for Google and Mozilla, etc. If you're not able to block connections with a firewall, at least install a Pi-Hole so you can block ads and custom domains like Google and Mozilla and Fakebook crap.

genezeta 4 hours ago

Firefox 145 here, just updated to latest this morning.

My about:config settings still disable the stuff. I get no AI Context Menu.

  • pera 3 hours ago

    That's strange, which OS? I am on Arch and also on 145 and I get the "Ask an AI Chatbot" in the context menu. The settings used to work in the past so I am not sure what's going on.

    I believe these are all the settings I have disabled for AI:

    browser.ml.chat.enabled

    browser.ml.chat.menu

    browser.ml.chat.page

    browser.ml.chat.page.footerBadge

    browser.ml.chat.page.menuBadge

    browser.ml.chat.shortcuts

    browser.ml.chat.sidebar

    browser.ml.enable

    browser.ml.linkPreview.enabled

    browser.ml.pageAssist.enabled

    browser.tabs.groups.smart.enabled

    browser.tabs.groups.smart.userEnable

    browser.tabs.groups.smart.userEnabled

    extensions.ml.enabled

    sidebar.notification.badge.aichat

    Am I missing anything?

    • genezeta 2 hours ago

      I had to go out. When I'm back home in a few hours, I'll try to look up all I've disabled.

cebert 3 hours ago

Thanks for reminding me to disable this in about:settings. Mozilla is doing everything it can to push me away from Firefox.