As announced a few weeks ago, Mozilla is giving Firefox users more power over how artificial intelligence (AI) shows up in their browser. With the new “AI Controls” section in “Settings”, you can now block every AI‑enhanced feature at once or fine‑tune them individually. That means whether it’s translations, alt text in PDFs, tab group suggestions, link previews, or the sidebar chatbot, you decide what stays and what goes.
The move reflects a growing demand for transparency and choice in AI‑driven tools. Instead of quietly rolling out enhancements, Firefox makes them visible, configurable, and—if you prefer—completely removable. It’s a clear signal that Mozilla wants users to stay in control of their browsing experience, not the other way around.
Here’s a clear step‑by‑step guide to turning off or customizing the AI features in Firefox. For more, go to: blog.mozilla.org
Step‑by‑Step Process
1. Open Firefox Settings
- Go to the Menu bar.
- Select Firefox > Settings (on some systems this may appear as Preferences).
2. Navigate to AI Controls
- In the Settings menu, look for the section labeled AI Controls.
- This is where all AI‑related options are grouped.
3. Block All AI Features (Single Switch)
- To disable every current and future AI‑enhanced feature:
- Find the option Block AI enhancements.
- Toggle it on.
- This ensures no AI features will run in your browser.
4. Manage Features Individually
- If you prefer to keep some AI features but disable others:
- In AI Controls, locate the list of available AI features (e.g., translations, image alt text in PDFs, tab group suggestions, link previews, sidebar chatbot).
- Each feature has a dropdown menu with three states:
- Available → Feature is visible but not active.
- Enabled → Feature is turned on and active.
- Blocked → Feature is hidden and cannot be used.
- Choose Blocked for any feature you don’t want.
5. Adjust Anytime
- You can revisit Settings > AI Controls at any time to change your preferences.
- For example:
- Enable image alt text in PDFs if you want accessibility support.
- Keep AI‑enhanced tab group suggestions if they’re useful.
- Block link previews or the sidebar chatbot if you don’t want them.
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