The Document Foundation, the nonprofit behind LibreOffice, said it will not add AI to the open-source document editor for the foreseeable future, citing data-control requirements that current integrations cannot meet.. The organization said in a blog post this week that no AI integration currently meets all its requirements, including keeping users’ data on their devices and avoiding dependence on a single AI provider..
The announcement follows the latest LibreOffice release in late August, when the nonprofit reiterated that the software “contains no generative AI features.”. LibreOffice called that a “deliberate design position” intended to prevent documents from being uploaded to servers for processing and ensure no part of the software requires a network connection to function..
The nonprofit said tens of millions of people and organizations use LibreOffice 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..
Users can install extensions that connect LibreOffice to local AI models. The organization said its criteria were not a “definitive rejection” of AI or a judgment on the sector’s value, but an assessment of the technology today.. LibreOffice said no AI of any kind would enter the default installation until its requirements were met.
Extensions will remain available for users who want AI features, and the organization will continue monitoring the technology’s development.. Featured image credit. Tags: Featuredlibreoffice
