Disabling AI in Firefox/Preventing future AI activation
Is there any way I can prevent Mozilla from installing/enabling more AI features on my Firefox browser in the future?
I do not want AI running on my machine. I do not want AI integration in my browser. I understand I will still run into AI in the wilds of the internet, but I especially do not want these features enabled ON MY OWN MACHINE in an update without me specifically opting into them. Installing and enabling this without user opt-in communicates clear disrespect to the users.
I did a cursory search here for similar questions and Mozilla staff appear to be stating there will be no AI in Firefox unless the user specifically enables it, and it is as simple as disabling them via settings if "accidentally" enabled. This was not my experience, and it is alarming to see false information provided to users .
I have found other sources indicating the following must be set to false in about:config in order to disable browser-side AI/AI integration: browser.ml.chat.enabled browser.ml.chat.page.footerBadge browser.ml.chat.page.menuBadge browser.ml.chat.shortcuts browser.ml.chat.shortcuts.custom browser.ml.chat.sidebar browser.ml.checkForMemory browser.ml.enable browser.ml.linkPreview.shift
Is that all of them, will these disable ALL of the AI in Firefox?
Are there any other settings I need to set to false to ensure no AI is either running on my machine or the browser is not integrating AI functionality from third parties?
Is there any way to ensure Mozilla doesn't force AI features to be enabled without my say-so (again)?
Are there any privacy-minded browsers comparable to Firefox that DO respect their users with regards to forcing AI on them? It may be time to jump ship.
All Replies (5)
AI features have been enabled gradually. What was stated about AI features in a particular version may have changed when the next version was released, when they became part of a progressive rollout or were enabled for everyone by default (this usually takes a few versions after the initial availability).
Mozilla has a general feedback and product suggestion site at https://connect.mozilla.org/. That would be the best place to advocate for different default settings, since that is beyond the purview of the support team. Since you're probably not the first person to have this concern, you can search and vote for existing ideas as well.
As for whether there are any AI features which are not controlled by a "browser.ml" preference (ml = machine learning), I don't know; nothing is rushing to mind.
Thank you for your feedback, we really do appreciate it
Please be assured that Firefox will always remain a browser built around user control. That includes AI with increased user controls being made available in the first quarter of 2026. Choice matters and demonstrating our commitment to choice is how we build and maintain trust.
I'm a little late to the response here, but no, I am not assured at all. Quite the opposite. I'm responding on the off-chance I am interacting with a human being and not an AI, and this may do some good.
Mozilla has got the cart before the horse by implementing these unwanted features without a clear ability to opt-out. It doesn't reassure me that you will *eventually* put the opt-out in place, rightfully getting the horse before the cart. It should have been put in place before the new feature was added and enabled. Period.
Firefox cannot *remain* a browser built around user control if it is not *currently* built around user control. Firefox is no longer built or being built around user control. That is clear.
The fact that this... stuff was implemented without the opt-out, with a dozen different settings buried in about:config that need to be manually disabled, clearly communicates this company does NOT respect user choice, is clearly NOT committed to respecting user choice, and is clearly NOT building and maintaining trust. You are setting trust and good will on fire for seemingly no reason.
This just looks like Mozilla got caught with its hand in the cookie jar and is doing damage control after the fact and makes me wary of future updates. I wonder what other kind of sneaky features you are going to add in next. I don't want to disable updates because I am concerned about security fixes, but I also don't want you putting more of this... stuff on my computer. I just want to view web pages.
This is the kind of anti-consumer behavior (implementing unwanted features, automatically enabling them, and making the unwanted features difficult to disable) I would expect from Meta, from Google, from Microsoft. It is shameful to see Mozilla engaging in it, but perhaps not surprising. Nothing lasts forever.
Hi Herb
Very much a human here, I can assure you.
This feels more like feedback than a support request and I am going to close this thread. There is no need to go flipping prefs in about:config and this may cause more harm than good.
Firefox continues to have the ability to display web pages, that is unchanged.
Thank you.
Herb Burgleman said
I'm responding on the off-chance I am interacting with a human being and not an AI,
There are no AI bots doing support here as everybody who replies to threads on this community support forum is a human. We do have a AI bot here named SumoBot that does help out in flagging threads and replies for spam and off-topic stuff to keep the public and search engine bots from seeing it. Also most of the Moderators here are volunteers and not Mozilla staff.