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Comment by _verandaguy | Hacker News Reader

It's specifically been opt-out: `browser.ml.enable` is set to `true` in `about:config` in recent versions, and even disabling that doesn't get rid of the "AI assistant" option in the right-click dropdown menu.

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    browser.ml.chat.enabled set to false
    browser.ml.chat.menu set to false
    browser.ml.chat.page set to false
    browser.ml.chat.page.footerBadge set to false
    browser.ml.chat.page.menuBadge set to false
    browser.ml.chat.shortcuts set to false
    browser.ml.chat.sidebar set to false
    browser.ml.enable set to false
    browser.ml.linkPreview.enabled set to false
    browser.ml.pageAssist.enabled set to false
    browser.tabs.groups.smart.enabled set to false
    browser.tabs.groups.smart.userEnable set to false
    extensions.ml.enabled set to false

That should do it.

Can also use the user config override if you want to do it without having to do that every time you install FF somewhere new (put user.js in the root folder of your firefox profile).

    user_pref("browser.ml.chat.enabled", false);
    user_pref("browser.ml.chat.menu", false);
    user_pref("browser.ml.chat.page", false);
    user_pref("browser.ml.chat.page.footerBadge", false);
    user_pref("browser.ml.chat.page.menuBadge", false);
    user_pref("browser.ml.chat.shortcuts", false);
    user_pref("browser.ml.chat.sidebar", false);
    user_pref("browser.ml.enable", false);
    user_pref("browser.ml.linkPreview.enabled", false);
    user_pref("browser.ml.pageAssist.enabled", false);
    user_pref("browser.tabs.groups.smart.enabled", false);
    user_pref("browser.tabs.groups.smart.userEnable", false);
    user_pref("extensions.ml.enabled", false);

It's a garbage feature that no one appears to have asked for.

This is just as user friendly as the rest of the firefox configuration. I can't recommend it to anyone in good faith anymore.

They are promising to, along with the AI tab misfeature, add one button in preferences to turn off all the AI features.

At this point, it's easier to start with a privacy-focused, AI-free fork, like LibreWolf, and turn some stuff on to stop it breaking sites that have privacy-hostile workings, like disabling that LibreWolf exclusive fingerprinting protection that many sites don't play nice with.

So sick of all these hacks. I've been a Firefox user for decades but it's time to throw in the towel.

> it's time to throw in the towel

And do what? Use a Chromium-based browser, which is infinitely worse?

Forks exist

If Mozilla needs ill-fated diversification attempts to try to stay afloat, forks are in an even worse situation.

Certainly starting to feel that way isn't it.

It's frustrating that the choice is between "becoming bad" (firefox) and "much worse" (chrome).

I added `browser.ml.chat.enabled` = `false` and `browser.ml.chat.menu` = `false` which seems to remove that right-click behavior.

You can remove it directly from the right-click menu, but that's really not my point.

Mozilla has now shoved AI down my throat as a user of Firefox. It's one thing if they want to pursue questionable business directions on a purely opt-in basis -- that's their prerogative -- and while I'll take issue with what was in my opinion one of the last bastions of the open web burning money like that, ultimately, at least they didn't force it on the user.

It's another thing when they impose it on the user base, and a user base, at that, that's probably more sensitive to having the latest trend shoved in our faces than the average browser user (I'm not saying this to sound elitist; on the contrary, I think FF attracts obstinate, almost luddite types when it comes to new technology; I think many of us just want a basic, relatively no-frills browser).

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