Mozilla and Mila Team Up On Open Source AI Push 31
BrianFagioli writes: Mozilla just teamed up with Mila, the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, to push open source AI -- and it feels like a direct response to Big Tech tightening its grip on the space. Instead of relying on closed models, the goal here is to build "sovereign AI" that's more transparent, privacy-focused, and actually under the control of developers and even governments. They're starting with things like private memory for AI agents, which sounds niche but matters if you care about where your data goes. Big question is whether open source can realistically keep up with the billions being poured into proprietary AI, but at least someone's trying to give folks an alternative. "Canada has what it takes to lead on frontier AI that the world can actually trust: the research depth, the values, and the will to do it differently. The next frontier in AI isn't just capability, it is trustworthiness, and Canada is uniquely positioned to lead on both. This partnership is a concrete step in that direction. Open, trustworthy AI isn't a compromise on ambition. It's the higher bar," said Valerie Pisano, president and CEO of Mila.
Our last, best hope for peace. (Score:4, Informative)
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How about no AI?
"No AI left behind!"
But seriously, if a company were to completely ignore AI (instead of making it optional - looking at your Microslop!) they'd be left in the dust by next year.
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For those of us who have been around long enough to get that quote, Mozilla has been a hell of a ride. A lot of ups and downs, but now that are the only real Chrome alternative and may become the only real AI alternative. Time to think about supporting them again.
Just before i came here i was annoyed that the Firefox new tab page was showing me a "seniors are getting bathroom upgrades if they live in these zipcodes!" that linked purely to fetchapro ... an old school "lead generation" company where they collect info to send you "a report" but on the last page in very small print they say:
By clicking the button above, I am providing my electronic signature in which I authorize Fetchapro and up to four home services or solar companies to email and/or call me, and send me pre-recorded messages and text messages at the number I’ve entered above, using an autodialer, with offers about their solar products or services, even if my phone number is on any national, or state or corporate "Do- Not -Call" list. Message and data rates may apply. Your consent is not a condition of purchase. You may revoke your consent at any time. You also agree to our terms and privacy policy.
(no i didn't give them info or click submit. but i went through this because i'd been seeing the ad for weeks and wondered what the heck they were even selling)
other ads are simi
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As an australian Solar is a genuinely viable solution for energy (like it is in most sunny places), and we do have a lot of it.
But the whole industry is getting a bad rep, largely not of their own making due to the relentless illegal spam phone calls that most australians get a couple of times a day offering "access to the government solar rebate". I've had to completely block phone calls from melbourne (most seem to come from that area code) and inform my melbourne friends to just text me on social media a
Mozilla do not need donations. (Score:2)
They are NOT primarily focused on Firefox and have so much play money they squander it on whatever projects amuse them as is their legal right.
Their Google contract alone brings in about half a billion dollars. They're a highly "profitable" non-profit.
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Actually I think you should have been more explicit. I'd guess the later Chamberlain, part of the appeasement thing, but I'd have to websearch and expose myself to AI to find out.
At this point I think the only way I would donate money to support Mozilla is if they promised NOT to change and break anything for some period of time.
And I think the only peace we're going to find around this world may be the peace of the grave.
Here we go again (Score:3)
AI...whether we want it or not. Thanks Mozilla, you could be spending your money on fixing your browser rather than....this.
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Then good thing Mozilla already provides a global AI switch [slashdot.org] to block the features.
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Yes, first they put in a feature few want, then offer a kill-switch. Seems like a lot of extra steps instead of making it an optional add-on.
In any event, it can be turned off....for now.
Milli Vanilli turned out bogus, (Score:4, Funny)
so will Mila Mozilla.
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Mozilla fucks it up again (Score:2)
(Reposted: original comment disappeared?) Mozilla is rapidly becoming the Democratic Party of the open web. Completely oblivious to its reputation or the real world, always capitulating to the pro-corporate pro-control side of the Internet represented by Chrome's Republicans, and completely unaware that its unpopularity is because it will not fight for openness, open source, and threats to the open web like the AI LLM industry.
They're just awful.
I hope, ultimately, enough moment gets behind one of the forks
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(Reposted: original comment disappeared?)
Weird. i do remember seeing it earlier... so yeah. What the heck?
I mean it's a bit Flamebait, but quite mild compared to other partisan stuff on many articles so i doubt it would have been "removed" on that basis.
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I'm sorry but not understanding the moderation here at all, and you're claiming it's flamebait too. So what is flamebait about it?
The end is near. (Score:1)
Mozilla has realized that AI is going to kill search and when search dies Google won't keep giving Mozilla the money it needs to stay above water. So now Mozilla is scrambling to find an AI business model that users don't hate. Goodbye Mozilla, it's been a fun couple of decades.
sure wish they would fix shit (Score:2)
Mobile Firefox has become nearly unusable. It crashes on me at least once per day now. The memory leaks are worse than ever.
Under control of governments... (Score:2)