Orbit by Mozilla is a new AI-powered assistant for the Firefox web browser that makes summarising web content while you browse as easy as clicking a
  • adarza@lemmy.caEnglish
    140·
    10 days ago
    • no account or login required.
    • it’s an addon (and one you have to go get), not baked-in.
    • limited to queries about content you’re currently looking at.
      (it’s not a general ‘search’ or queries engine)
    • llm is hosted by mozilla, not a third party.
    • session histories are not retained or shared, not even with mistral (it’s their model).
    • user interactions are not used to train.
    • Jeena@piefed.jeena.netEnglish
      27·
      10 days ago

      Thanks for the summary. So it still sends the data to a server, even if it’s Mozillas. Then I still can’t use it for work, because the data is private and they wouldn’t appreciate me sending their data toozilla.

      • LWD@lemm.ee
        12·
        9 days ago

        Technically it’s a server operated by Google, leased by Mozilla. Mistral 7b could technically work locally, if Mozilla cared about doing such a thing.

        I guess you can basically use the built-in AI chatbot functionality Mozilla rushed out the door, enable a secret setting, and use Mistral locally, but what a missed opportunity from the Privacy Browser Company

      • Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
        1·
        8 days ago

        According to Microsoft, you can safely send your work related stuff to Copilot. Besides, most companies already use a lot of their software and cloud services, so LLM queries don’t really add very much. If you happen to be working for one of those companies, MS probably already knows what you do for a living, hosts your meeting notes, knows your calendar etc.

        If you’re working for Purism, RedHat or some other company like that, you might want to host your own LLM instead.

    • fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works
      10·
      9 days ago

      That’s really cool to see. A trusted hosted open source model is really missing in the ecosystem to me. I really like the idea of web centric integration too.

  • LucidBoi@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    49·
    9 days ago

    I want to point out that by downvoting this, you’re reducing the visibility of the post for other people, therefore making less people informed of the change.

    • lemmeBe@sh.itjust.works
      6·
      9 days ago

      My thoughts exactly.

      However, I always found upvotes and downvotes a bit confusing because upvote is almost synonymous with “like” and downvote with “don’t like”. With upvote, that assumption isn’t that problematic but with downvote it is, like in this case where post will have less chance of being seen.

  • LWD@lemm.ee
    33·
    9 days ago

    I appreciate the option to not install it.

    Now if only Mozilla could migrate their built-in AI stuff to this optional extension so it doesn’t come pre-installed, that’d be great

    • Karna@lemmy.mlOP
      11·
      9 days ago

      The built-in AI staff,you referred to, is nothing but an accelerator to integrate with 3rd-party or self-hosted LLMs. It’s quite similar to choosing a search engine in settings. This feature itself is lightweight and can be disabled in settings if not required.

      • LWD@lemm.ee
        3·
        8 days ago

        The built-in AI staff [sic]… is… an accelerator to integrate with 3rd-party or self-hosted LLMs.

        Users are only shown Big Tech “3rd-party” options. Mozilla made this choice intentionally.

        Since Mozilla is clearly capable of developing an add-on that is not forcefully installed on user’s devices, they should remove the built-in thing that endorses the highly unethical chatbots run by Google, OpenAI, etc.

        • Karna@lemmy.mlOP
          2·
          8 days ago

          Users are only shown Big Tech “3rd-party” options. Mozilla made this choice intentionally.

          Well, how many users really have LLM local-hosted?

          • LWD@lemm.ee
            2·
            6 days ago

            So we agree Mozilla only chose to promote Big Tech options.

    • Karna@lemmy.mlOP
      26·
      10 days ago

      It’s an add-on, not something baked-in the browser. It’s not on your property at the first place, unless you choose to install it 🙂

      • dumbass@leminal.spaceEnglish
        23·
        10 days ago

        For now, but one day Firefox will try sneak him into my house and hide him in a cupboard untill squatters rights kick in.

        • Karna@lemmy.mlOP
          9·
          10 days ago

          Even they choose to do so in future, usually there always is a about:config entry to disable it.

  • ramblingsteve@lemmy.worldEnglish
    19·
    10 days ago

    I’m starting to warm up to this stuff. There is a future rapidly hurtling towards us where, if you take the time to read and think for yourself, you will become a genius. It was happening already in some stem fields where people used GUI tools without ever reading what the buttons did, and if you took the time to read the manuals and the underlying methods, you could become vastly more competent than anybody else in your team. This “AI” bullshit is just extending the lazy culture out to every piece of information on the web, where average Joe is already unable to concentrate beyond 140 characters. Those that take the time to learn the fundamentals and read deeply will have vastly superior knowledge of any subject, while the majority will be spoon fed superficial summaries filled with errors and no way of realising.

    • caseyweederman@lemmy.ca
      3·
      9 days ago

      That was written by an AI, wasn’t it?
      If anything brings me around on AI, it’ll be the “kids these days and their dang quill and parchment, the chisel and stone tablet was good enough for me so it should be good enough for everyone” argument.

    • adarza@lemmy.caEnglish
      5·
      10 days ago

      the ‘ai chatbot’ in the ‘lab’ is different.

      the chatbot is just basically an optional conduit between you and and a third party ai-powered ‘search’/‘chat’ service, so that you can use firefox to access it.

      you’re still subject to any rules, policies, costs, account requirements, usage limits, etc. set by those third-parties.

      • Karna@lemmy.mlOP
        2·
        10 days ago

        BTW, Lab option works better privacy wise (than Add-on) if you have LLM running locally, IMO.