- Mozilla says Firefox will get an AI ‘kill switch’ in early 2026
- The move is an attempt to appease users who are angry about their AI plans
- Mozilla’s new CEO revealed plans to turn Firefox into an ‘AI browser’
AI is taking over the world, but not everyone is happy about it. That was aptly demonstrated by the swift backlash received by Mozilla when the developer announced it would add AI features to the Firefox browser — and now Mozilla has revealed its plan to appease angry users.
New Mozilla CEO Anthony Enzor-DeMeo wrote on Dec. 16 of a plan to develop Firefox into “a modern AI browser” that will “support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions,” adding that the company would “invest in AI that reflects the Mozilla manifesto.”
It was a point in a broader article about his goals for one of the best web browsers out there, but many readers took issue with his mention of AI and worried that Firefox would lose its identity as it chased the latest technology trends.
Now Mozilla has responded to the furore. Writing on Reddit, Enzor-DeMeo explained that web browsers need to appeal to a wide range of people before adding: “Rest assured, Firefox will always remain a browser built around user control. That includes AI. You want a clear way to turn off AI features. A real kill switch will come in Q1 2026. Choice matters, and how we build our commitment to choice is how we build and maintain choice.”
The next day, Jake Archibald, Web Developer Relations Lead at Mozilla, went to Mastodon in an attempt to clarify the situation. “Something that hasn’t been made clear: Firefox will have an option to completely disable all AI features,” Archibald wrote. “Also, all AI features will be opt-in … the kill switch will absolutely remove all that, and never show it in the future. That’s unequivocal.”
Restoring trust
Firefox has long attracted users precisely because it is different from its competitors. Unlike most browsers out there, it’s not based on Google’s Chromium engine and makes a conscious effort to be as privacy-friendly as possible – yes, it’s our pick as the best secure browser on the market.
Its principles have attracted people concerned about modern AI developments, whether it’s the bloat AI might add to a browser or concerns about how the technology will affect jobs, creativity and intellectual property.
I’ve been using Firefox continuously for over 20 years now, and one of the things that has convinced me to stick with it has been its long-standing commitment to privacy. It has hit a few bumps in the road along the way, but nothing near the privacy concerns that plague the likes of Google Chrome. At least in my case, the trust is preserved.
Yet it is precisely that trust that the push against AI threatens. AI algorithms are a black box over which users have no visibility, and so far it’s impossible to know exactly how Mozilla plans to implement these AI elements.
Perhaps the biggest problem is the lack of information in Enzor-DeMeo’s original post. What is meant by an “AI browser” and a “portfolio of new and reliable software additions” is never made clear, leaving people anxious to fill the void. The sooner Mozilla can clarify its plans, the sooner it can regain trust and reassure its users that it is not killing Firefox’s soul in pursuit of AI innovation.
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