Mozilla is adding a new set of artificial intelligence (AI) controls to Firefox that will allow users to block all generative AI features across the browser. Starting with the Firefox 148 update, which rolls out on February 24, users will see a dedicated “AI controls” section in desktop settings, including a single toggle to block both current and future AI enhancements.

The move stands out in a browser market where platforms increasingly enable AI features by default and make them difficult to fully disable. However, Mozilla’s approach essentially relies on opt-out rather than opt-in. 

As a result, Firefox becomes one of the clearest examples of web browsers available today with an AI opt-out option, while also serving as a useful case study for examining what meaningful user choice around AI would actually require.

Why AI controls matter at the browser level

Browsers do not function as just another app. Instead, they operate as core internet infrastructure, shaping how people access information, navigate websites, translate content, and interpret links. As generative AI moves into this layer, decisions around defaults and controls begin to matter more than individual features.

AI features embedded at the browser level influence everyday behaviour at scale. Notably, they affect what users see before clicking a link, how content is framed, how tabs are organised, and which tools appear alongside web pages. In this context, control extends beyond convenience. It determines whether users actively choose AI or encounter it by default.

Mozilla’s decision to surface AI controls acknowledges this shift. At the same time, it exposes how most platforms continue to treat AI as a given rather than something users explicitly agree to adopt.

What Firefox’s AI controls actually do

According to Mozilla, the Firefox 148 update introduces a single place to manage AI preferences in the desktop browser. Users can turn on a global “Block AI enhancements” toggle that disables all current and future generative AI features. When enabled, Firefox will also stop showing prompts or reminders encouraging users to try AI features.

Additionally, users can manage individual AI features if they choose to keep some enabled. These include translations, AI-generated alt text in PDFs (alternative text used by screen readers and accessibility tools), AI-assisted tab grouping, link previews, and an AI chatbot in the sidebar.

This sidebar chatbot allows users to manually choose between multiple providers, including Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Le Chat Mistral. Once users set these preferences, Firefox preserves them across browser updates and allows changes at any time.

This approach builds on Mozilla’s earlier positioning of AI as an optional layer in Firefox, including its opt-in “AI Window” introduced in late 2025, which the company framed as a separate browsing mode rather than a…


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Last Update: February 4, 2026