The Document Foundation, the nonprofit behind LibreOffice, released a blog post stating that while it does not reject AI outright, it will not add AI to its software for the foreseeable future. This decision comes weeks after the release of the latest version of LibreOffice in late August, which reiterated that the software contains no generative AI features.
The organization emphasized that its software is used by tens of millions of people and organizations, and that users should retain control over their data. "Any organisation handling confidential, legally privileged or personal data needs to know where that data goes, and the only assurance that survives an audit is that it does not leave the machine," the organization said.
LibreOffice said that there is currently "no integration" that meets all of its requirements, such as ensuring that the users’ data stays on their device and that there is no reliance on a single AI provider, among other considerations.
The organization’s criteria for including AI into its software is not a "definitive rejection," but the decision was an assessment of the technology today, rather than a "judgement on the value of the sector."
"Until then, there will be no AI of any kind in the default installation; extensions will be available for those who wish to integrate AI features, and we will closely monitor where the technology is actually heading," said LibreOffice’s blog post.
This decision bucks the trend of many software makers today that try to pack in as much AI as possible, even to the detriment of the user experience.
The announcement follows the release of the latest version of LibreOffice in late August, in which the nonprofit reiterated that the software "contains no generative AI features." LibreOffice said at the time that this was a "deliberate design position" to ensure that users’ documents are not uploaded to a server for processing and that no part of the software requires a network connection to function.
LibreOffice did not say when it might reconsider AI integration, and the open question remains whether current AI tools can meet its data privacy and control requirements. The organization said it will closely monitor where the technology is actually heading.
Source: techcrunch
