For what it's worth... I think there are useful AI tools. For example the offline translation feature that doesn't send your content to google is something they recently introduced. I'd also like to see someone compete with a decent and open text-to-speech solution that gets wide adoption... And the idea of flagging fake reviews doesn't sound too bad (I haven't tried it.) I mean people are complaining about SEO making google unusable and fake news only ever getting more. I can see some benefit there - if done right.
But we definitely don't need a Clippy 2.0 or another smart assistant. And I don't think everything has to be embedded in a browser and make it yet more complicated and bigger, or implemented in the operating system. An add-on will probably do.
(Edit: And I sometimes don't understand Mozilla. Why not focus on their core product and make that exceptionally great? If they're already struggling... What's with all these side-projects and dabbling in AI anyways?)
Uh yeah, I'm not sure. I've tried summarizing with AI tools. And there is the bot here on Lemmy that summarizes stuff... I never liked any of that. It's really a mixed bag, from pretty okay summaries to entirely missing the point of the original article to bordering on false information. I think we're far from there yet. However, it's a common use-case for AI. Maybe in 1-2 years I can stop being afraid of misinformation being fed to me. Currently, I think the incorrectness of the information still outweighs any potential benefit. The more complicated it gets, thus making you in need of a summary in the first place, the more biased and skewed the results get. So I don't see that happen in the very near future. But we definitely should keep up doing the research and pushing that.
Tagging and organizing is something I'd like an AI for.
Imagine spending hours writing and editing something with care only for an LLM to “summarize“ it, completely missing any nuance or sarcasm, removing any creative bits or humor, while also making the wrong point altogether. To top it off anyone unwilling to read your story, their time is valuable after all (but not yours, apparently), will now repeat the LLM’s interpretation to anyone they’d like, whether it’s accurate or not.
It’s an abysmal direction to go for misinformation and even more abysmal for writers. Good content becomes irrelevant and people become less and less willing to pay for a writer’s time and expertise. Why not write with an LLM if a large percentage of your readers summarize the piece with an LLM anyways? Just need more eyeballs to justify our Google Ads spending.
Built into a “private” browser or not, it’s just another nail in the coffin of a web built by and for humans.
I think you're completely right with that assessment. Journalist used to be a reputable profession. And explaining things and processing raw information into something that can be consumed by the reader, deemed important. Especially getting it right. There is a whole process to it if you do it professionally. And curating content and deciding what is significant and gets an audience is equally as important.
Doing away with all of that is like replacing your New York Times with your 5-year-old and whatever she took from watching the news.
I am very skeptical when it comes to machine learning and all the hype surrounding it, but it's not all bad. For example an improved firefox translate would be a nice feature to have. There might also be some usecases for accessibility or adblocking.
In general, I agree, but it seems Mozilla is trying to do the right thing by AI. Offline translation is neat. And the Review Checker they just introduced uses AI to spot fake Amazon reviews. I think that's pretty cool.
16 jan 2024 10:00:00 CET: The release for Mac with an ARM CPU (a.k.a. Apple Silicon) is giving some troubles because I'm building it on an Intel macbook pro leftover from a previous job and everytime I build a new release, in order to test it, I need to drive to mediamarkt or an apple store. It would be great having someone testing these build(s) (they are in the Download page). So if you have an ARM M1/2/3/n Mac and some time to spare, try the builds in the Download page and let me know if/or which one works. Thanks!
I shall answer this call. Thanks!
How’s it compare to “hardened Firefox”? Just something I’ve seen referenced.
Mozilla seized an opportunity to bring trustworthy AI into Firefox, largely driven by the Fakespot acquisition and the product integration work that followed. Additionally, finding great content is still a critical use case for the internet. Therefore, as part of the changes today, we will be bringing together Pocket, Content, and the AI/ML teams supporting content with the Firefox Organization.
Seems like they’re planning to incorporate AI into the browser.
Mozilla seized an opportunity to bring trustworthy AI into Firefox
Therefore, as part of the changes today, we will be bringing together Pocket, Content, and the AI/ML teams supporting content with the Firefox Organization
This is from the Mozilla release. The second quote does say "Firefox Organization" and not "Firefox", but it seems clear they are planning on integrating AI into Firefox.
But, I've reread @NotSteve_'s comment and they were saying the funding earned from AI could be put into Firefox, not AI itself. NotSteve wasn't claiming that putting AI into Firefox would bring in more funding, only that AI could be a separate source of revenue. So my question is moot.
I mean, a local-only AI would be really cool to have, especially if they need to be competitive against Google and Microsoft with Edge who are investing significant ressources in AI and are trying various ways to integrate it into their products
Mozilla downsizes as it refocuses on Firefox and AI drops multiple products and layoff 60 so that its current budget can accomodate the stratospheric compensation of its new CEO.
I recall there being at least one content blocker that worked by heuristics instead of rulesets. Cannot remember the name, but it was clearly not as effective as conventional ones, because not all ads look the same and usually people want to block the invisible trackers as well.
I dunno, having a free, open model made by a trusted company would be nice. I like initiatives like Mozilla Voice, this could be something similar. Probably not great if it's replacing focus on the other things though.
100% agreed. I just hope whatever this AI they are thinking isnt about what info I should consume. What the AI think is good doesnt mean its the only info I should consume.
Sigh, and here I was, thinking Microsoft trying to shove its useless (to me) AI down my throat at every opportunity was annoying... Quo vadis Mozilla, what are you guys doing... :(
Ai is coming either way. It’s not really avoidable, and if Mozilla were to divest from that area too they would set themselves up for failure. A few years down the road all browsers will have some sort of ai integration, perhaps large parts of the web too. If Mozilla doesn’t keep up it will just become entirely irrelevant and the internet will be fully controlled by google and its chromium bs.
Besides, what they did so far is really neat and how I would like to see ai integrated: offline translation features on your local device, not somewhere under control of some corporation. More of that please
I mean that's pretty standard for a McKinsey ghoul:
Step 1: go to an ivy league college, get a business degree
Step 2: work for McKinsey for a few years as an associate
Step 3: get a job at a McKinsey client leapfrogging everyone else into management/c-suite
Step 4: hire McKinsey to bring their arrogant children into your org and screw things up
Everything about her subsequent career has been going from one upper management/c-suite role in a tech company to another. This is not the resume of a person who should be running a nonprofit that controls the most important open source project on the internet. But beyond that just look at what she's done in her one month at Mozilla:
Massive round of layoffs
"Focus on {buzzword}" where {buzzword} in this case is AI
For once I see legitimate criticism about Mozilla without the Lunduke part. And the worst part is that just like Emily, Laura will be protected from all scrutiny just because she is a woman. It will not matter that she is a capitalist from McKinsey, or that she will eat away at developers' salaries and walk away happily with no consequences. Maybe we will see again, just like Emily, beach photos with arrogance and insults?
Terrible times for Mozilla. AI obsession is just extra damage.
Laura will be protected from all scrutiny just because she is a woman
Lol what, no. It's because she's for all intents and purposes the CEO, and better yet, an overly paid CEO. When's the last time you've seen the CEO getting their comeuppance?
The figurehead is chosen selectively, most likely for political purposes, since Mozilla wants to relate to California rather than Florida. Emily was not competent at all, and Laura somehow comes from McKinsey to handle a non-profit giant. There are plenty people worthy of running Mozilla that are not capitalist leeches.
You rarely stay very long in those companies nowadays. Unless you aim at becoming CEO in 20 years' time. But otherwise, you just get your golden parachute after a couple of years of doing horrible shit.
Specifically, Mozilla plans to scale back its investment in a number of products, including its VPN, Relay and, somewhat remarkably, its Online Footprint Scrubber
IMO these were their best products. 🙁
Going forward, the company said in an internal memo, Mozilla will focus on bringing “trustworthy AI into Firefox.” To do so, it will bring together the teams that work on Pocket, Content and AI/Ml.
I would assume they're taking a hard look at revenue figures. I currently do use their VPN, but my impression is that it isn't much more than a repackaging of Mullvad VPN. No idea about the other products. Is their Relay and Scrubber offering more outstanding?
Specifically, Mozilla plans to scale back its investment in a number of products, including its VPN, Relay and, somewhat remarkably, its Online Footprint Scrubber, which launched only a week ago.
I just purchased an annual plan for Monitor, partially to help Mozilla. I guess this is my thanks