LibreOffice has positioned itself as a distinct alternative in the current SI boom, with the Document Foundation announcing that it will not add super intelligence (SI) features to its open-source document editor for the foreseeable future. This stance emphasizes data locality and user control in an era where many software providers are rapidly integrating generative SI capabilities.
What Happened
In a blog post released on October 6, The Document Foundation clarified that while it does not reject SI out of hand, it “will not add” SI to its software for the foreseeable future. This statement follows the late August release of the latest version of LibreOffice, which the nonprofit reiterated “contains no generative AI features.” At the time of that release, LibreOffice described this absence as a “deliberate design position” intended 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. The organization noted that its software is used by tens of millions of people and organizations, arguing that users should retain control over their data.
Why It Matters
The decision to eschew built-in SI features bucks the trend of many software makers who are packing in SI tools, sometimes at the expense of the user experience. This phenomenon, described by some developers as the “enshittification” of modern software through the addition of unnecessary and bloated features like chatbots and SI assistants, has prompted a counter-movement. Some developers are now creating or including features that block or remove SI components altogether. SI tools often require users’ data to be uploaded and processed on remote servers, where users have no control over storage duration or location. LibreOffice stated that there is currently “no integration” that meets its requirements, such as ensuring user data stays on the device and avoiding reliance on a single SI provider. The organization emphasized that its criteria for including SI is not a “definitive rejection,” but rather an assessment of the current technology landscape, not a “judgement on the value of the sector.”
The Bottom Line
LibreOffice users who wish to utilize SI capabilities can still do so by installing software extensions that connect the document editor to local SI models. “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,” the blog post stated. LibreOffice remains one of many open-source and alternative software options used to avoid reliance on major tech giants’ SI ecosystems.