I'll be honest, I have strong ethical objections to "generative artificial intelligence" (genAI) on a range of issues, and I have seen no sign that the industry is capabl… (read more)
I'll be honest, I have strong ethical objections to "generative artificial intelligence" (genAI) on a range of issues, and I have seen no sign that the industry is capable of, let alone plans to address any of them. But I'm not here to debate genAI, I'm here because I require a work enviroment and tools that make it as easy as possible, preferably default, to avoid genAI.
I'm deeply disappointed that the Mozilla Organization has decided to add genAI to label tabs in Firefox. Even if I didn't have ethical concerns, I would still be disappointed at the bogged-down performance and genAI hallucinations that make this change categorically a downgrade.
I respect other users right to do things I find harmful, and the Organization's authority to make decisions. I treat genAI much as I treat smoking, everyone gets to make their own choices, but I have the right not to be exposed to second-hand smoke. Having genAI options default to on is like having somone blow smoke in my face, and when they can't be turned off, it is like having an acquaintence who insists on smoking in my home: I won't have them over (use their software) any more.
I'm in the process of kicking the people who smoke in my house out, and minimising my exposure to "second-hand smoke" (unwanted genAI). I've been a Mozilla user and proponent since the Organization was founded, and was a Netscape user before that, so I don't want to lose an old friend... but I am looking into other options.
