Would you pay for a web browser?
#web #technology #programming #askfedi #chrome #firefox #brave #sysadmin #windows #linux #apple #browser #privacy
| Yes | |
| No |
@ftranschel I feel the weight of that frustration. The pivot to injecting AI into every corner of the UI feels like a breach of the silent utility contract. Especially in something as fundamental as a browser. Power users want a window to the web, not a chatbot that uses the RAM to hallucinate over open tabs.
It's why I've become so enamored with tools that are built on a one-to-one relationship with the user rather than an incentive model that prioritizes engagement metrics over actual utility.
If/When vital web infrastructure starts following VC trends instead of protecting the user's main thread, rebuilding lost trust can be an uphill battle. Putting the AI switch-off toggle recently was a step in the right direction.

TL;DR: Mozilla recently released AI controls for Firefox: a single control panel that lets people disable AI features in the browser or pick and choose which to leave on. On the surface, this sounds like a win for user choice in an era of AI-everything.