Firefox is taking a notably different stance in the browser-AI race: giving users a clean opt-out.
Starting with Firefox 148, rolling out on February 24, Mozilla will introduce a new AI Controls section in desktop settings that lets users block all current and future generative AI features, or selectively turn specific ones on and off.
At the center of the update is a simple toggle: “Block AI enhancements.” Turn it on, and Firefox will stop surfacing AI features altogether, no pop-ups, no nudges, no reminders, now or later. For users who want more nuance, Mozilla is also allowing feature-by-feature control, including:
- Translations (browsing the web in your preferred language)
- Alt text generation in PDFs
- AI-enhanced tab grouping
- Link previews
Firefox’s AI chatbot sidebar, which can connect to tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Le Chat Mistral.
Mozilla’s position is clear: AI should exist only where users actively want it.
“AI is changing the web, and people want very different things from it,” Mozilla wrote. “We’ve heard from many who want nothing to do with AI… Listening to our community led us to build AI controls.”
The move aligns closely with comments made by Mozilla’s new CEO, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo, appointed in December. While confirming that Mozilla will invest in AI features, he emphasized that none should be forced.
“AI should always be a choice, something people can easily turn off. People should know why a feature works the way it does and what value they get from it.”
That framing sharply contrasts with the direction many competitors are taking, where AI is increasingly baked into core experiences by default.
Mozilla’s timing isn’t accidental. The browser market is shifting fast, with traditional players facing pressure from AI-native and AI-forward challengers like Perplexity, Arc, OpenAI, and Opera. Rather than out-AI everyone else, Firefox is leaning into what has long been its differentiator: user control, transparency, and trust.
That ethos extends beyond the browser. According to CNBC, Mozilla president Mark Surman recently described his efforts to build a “rebel alliance” of startups, developers, and public-interest technologists focused on making AI more accountable.