Firefox Now Allows You to Disable All Current (and Future) AI Features.

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Since ChatGPT kicked off the generative AI revolution in 2022, it seems like every company has tried to incorporate AI features into their products in one way or another. Sometimes these features prove useful; often, they don’t, serving merely as proof that these companies are “keeping up with the times.” Can you even call yourself a tech company if you’re not fully engaged in AI in 2026?

There’s nothing wrong with companies offering AI features to users, as long as they provide easy ways to disable them. Some customers don’t want AI in their everyday products; I’ve seen quite a few of them . But as long as there’s an off switch, all is well. The problem arises when these features are not only offered but made mandatory. Unfortunately, it seems that many companies are heading down this path.

Perhaps this is where some discontent arose last year, when Mozilla’s new CEO, Anthony Ensor-DeMeo, first stated that Firefox would “evolve into a modern AI-powered browser” in the near future. An open letter written by a Reddit user criticizing Ensor-DeMeo’s statement received over 5,000 upvotes on the Firefox subreddit from users concerned that AI features would negatively impact the browser. Interestingly, Ensor-DeMeo himself responded to the letter and assured users that the company would offer a “clear way” to disable AI features, including a dedicated “kill switch” to ensure they remain disabled. It appears he kept his word.

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Disabling artificial intelligence features in Firefox is very easy.

Earlier this month, Mozilla announced new AI controls in Firefox, starting with version 148. Released on February 24, this version introduced a brand-new AI controls section in the desktop browser’s Settings panel. (You’ll find it between “Sync” and “AI Control.”) Here, you can block all current and future AI features, as well as choose which features, if any, you want to use.

What AI features does Firefox offer?

Source: Lifehacker

Firefox 148 introduces five AI features that you can enable or disable at will:

What do you think at the moment?

  • Translation : Translates web pages into the target language.

  • Alternative Text in PDFs : Adds accessibility descriptions to images attached to PDFs.

  • AI-enhanced tab grouping : Suggests related tabs and group names for series of tabs.

  • Link Preview : Displays key points before opening the link.

  • AI-powered chatbot providers in the sidebar : Firefox will get its own AI chatbot, though users can choose from existing chatbots such as Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Le Chat Mistral.

If you absolutely don’t want anything to do with AI when browsing in Firefox, you can use the “Block AI enhancements” toggle. Once enabled, not only will these features not appear, but Firefox will also block any pop-ups or alerts that invite you to try existing or future AI features.

Firefox users uninterested in AI features should pay attention to the new control menu after the browser update—though there are certainly more egregious AI features. Translation can be convenient, as can link previews. But I would definitely never want a chatbot in my browser’s sidebar. If I used Firefox as my primary browser, I would definitely disable at least this feature, if not all of them.

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