Ubuntu is adding AI features, and it's on a collision course with its own user base

[Alfonso Maruccia]

What the Bubble: Many software platforms are now facing some controversial choices regarding the integration of LLMs and other AI tech. Microsoft is somewhat backtracking from its early adoption enthusiasm, while one of the most popular Linux distros out there is apparently going the other way around.

Earlier this week, Canonical VP Engineering Jon Seager unveiled the company's plan for integrating AI solutions into Ubuntu. The open source operating system, one of the most popular Linux distros for general desktop usage and cloud instances, is going to adopt many AI-based features for accessibility and other tasks. Users are not exactly thrilled with the idea, though.

According to Seager's original post, Canonical is already in the process of ramping up its internal use of AI tools. The British company allegedly wants to stay focused and employ LLMs in a "principled" manner, favoring open weight models and license types that are compatible with open source values. To put it simply, Ubuntu is going to get several "native" AI features, enhancing the operating system in the background.

Canonical's developer provided a few practical instances where LLMs and chatbots are going to improve the overall Ubuntu experience. The Linux OS will use AI to power accessibility features such as speech-to-text and text-to-speech, while agentic AI features should super-charge troubleshooting tasks and configuration automation.

Seager explained that "Ubuntu is not becoming an AI product, but it can become stronger with thoughtful AI integration."

What Ubuntu is most certainly going to miss is a "global kill switch" to shut all these new AI features down with a single click. A few users replied to Seager's post by expressing their dissatisfaction with the whole idea of deep AI adoption. A growing number of users are switching to Ubuntu and Linux to avoid the same forced AI integration that affected Windows 11, and now the most popular steward of desktop Linux is doing the same as Microsoft.

Seager clarified a few key points later in the comment thread. The developer said that Ubuntu will not include a "global" kill switch for AI features, but users will be able to remove any feature they don't like. LLMs and chatbots will be implemented as OS Snaps, which should be much easier to remove than most Windows "native" features.

Furthermore, AI-backed features should always be an opt-in choice. Users will be presented with an initial setup wizard where they will have to choose what they want. In any case, most LLMs are too big to become part of the operating system's main installer.

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Ubuntu is adding AI features, and it's on a collision course with its own user base

 

[The Talking Tech]

We are the consumer and we have the power to loud show these companies how we want products to be...and that goes for ANY product on the market.

 

[Rapob]

Ubuntu often do weird **** nobody asked for. Unity was a huge mistake.

 

[abactuon]

Users need to switch to Debian. Boycott clones.

 

[dangh]

Users need to switch to Debian. Boycott clones.

Why Debian though? And no, those are no clones. Linux is free for modification, and the more the better. You can get any flavour you wish and that's fine. Some people might want AI integration. No idea why, but it is possible (I have a local llm, but not on ubuntu anyway - still, it is not integrated to an OS, because why tf should it be).

Opinionated distros will always be there, and that's kinda ok. I can't stand Gnome, but idk, I use hyprland. There will always be a flavour matching your taste.

 

[TooQik]

As long as there's an option to choose what is installed I don't have any issue. It's when AI is forced down my throat that I strongly object.

 

[TheBigT42]

Mint Really needs to ramp up development of its Debian Addition.

 

[TheBigT42]

Why Debian though? And no, those are no clones. Linux is free for modification, and the more the better. You can get any flavour you wish and that's fine. Some people might want AI integration. No idea why, but it is possible (I have a local llm, but not on ubuntu anyway - still, it is not integrated to an OS, because why tf should it be).

Opinionated distros will always be there, and that's kinda ok. I can't stand Gnome, but idk, I use hyprland. There will always be a flavour matching your taste.

There are only a few "Up Stream" Linux distros all others are based on these. He said Debian because that is what Ubuntu is based on.

Debian
Fedora
Arch Linux
Manjaro.SUSE/openSUSE
Gentoo
Slackware

 

[Axeia]

Why Debian though? And no, those are no clones. Linux is free for modification, and the more the better.

Not really, consolidating resources can be a big perk. There's many distros that serve little to no purpose and if the same people working on them instead contributed towards something more useful with the skills they obviously have the remaining distros would simply be better.

But hey, a large part is done by people in their spare time as a hobby. Can't really tell them what to do or what not to do in their spare time so it is what it is.

 

[abactuon]

Why Debian though?

Ubuntu is the first derivative of Debian, Zorin OS is the second, etc.
Would you prefer a copy of Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" or the original or the girl herself?

 

[acrossthestars]

Seager explained that "Ubuntu is not becoming an AI product, but it can become stronger with thoughtful AI integration."

This is going to be a hot take, but he is right. There is a middle ground between "literally nothing" and "ALL of it"; the key is to find it.

The best way to describe people's nervousness with AI is "scope creep": if it can be proven to be useful for doing certain tasks, better than the end user, then it will replace the end user. "Better to not even entertain the idea, lest AI be given an inch and then have to watch everything be swallowed up by the machine", is the general vibe.

 

[GTvon]

The folks using Linux aren't exactly what you'd call the leading edge of technology so this isn't a surprise. Someday they might catch up, maybe.

 

[GTvon]

Ubuntu is the first derivative of Debian, Zorin OS is the second, etc.
Would you prefer a copy of Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring" or the original or the girl herself?

Definitely the original. The girl is long dead.

 

[abactuon]

Metaphor and simile are the most commonly used figures of speech in everyday language.
Or they were used in the 20th century when I was getting my education.

 

[Hecate91]

There is a difference in being able to choose if you want AI in the OS and it being forced upon you without permission.
I want to choose what gets installed, not AI shoved in my face, I'll gladly be "behind the times" without a bunch of AI bloated applications.

 

[onebignerd]

Ha ha, so much for Linux freedom!! -Sincerely, Windows 11 user

 

[foxrox]

As long as there's an option to choose what is installed I don't have any issue. It's when AI is forced down my throat that I strongly object.

Exactly. I embrace technology and change. I use AI daily, but I use Linux because I reject the idea of surrendering control to Micro$lop. I run GrapheneOS on my phone for the same reason. Linux is far from perfect, but there is a greater degree of user control and autonomy. If I want or need to use AI, I will access it on my terms. When I do not want or need to, I want AI to be absent, silent and out of sight, out of mind. Just like the old cliche "Children should be seen and not heard" that applies to AI.

 

[ZedRM]

AI + Linux? No! Seems like Ubuntu wants to kill itself! This is just dumb.

 

[Knot Schure]

Why Debian though? And no, those are no clones. Linux is free for modification, and the more the better. You can get any flavour you wish and that's fine. Some people might want AI integration. No idea why, but it is possible (I have a local llm, but not on ubuntu anyway - still, it is not integrated to an OS, because why tf should it be).

Opinionated distros will always be there, and that's kinda ok. I can't stand Gnome, but idk, I use hyprland. There will always be a flavour matching your taste.

Debian because Ubuntu is itself a Debian derivative — Canonical takes Debian as the upstream and adds their own packaging, defaults, and now apparently AI features.

So when people say "switch to Debian," they're suggesting going to the upstream source rather than the downstream variant that's making the choices you don't like.

Same kernel, same package format (.deb), much of the same software, just without Canonical's editorial decisions layered on top.

Mint LMDE and Debian itself are the most common destinations when people leave Ubuntu over decisions like this one.

 

[dangh]

Debian because Ubuntu is itself a Debian derivative — Canonical takes Debian as the upstream and adds their own packaging, defaults, and now apparently AI features.

So when people say "switch to Debian," they're suggesting going to the upstream source rather than the downstream variant that's making the choices you don't like.

Same kernel, same package format (.deb), much of the same software, just without Canonical's editorial decisions layered on top.

Mint LMDE and Debian itself are the most common destinations when people leave Ubuntu over decisions like this one.

I understand what is realtion between debian and ubuntu. Question was why debian, not other distros, which often can do a better job, like openSUSE, Gentoo, Fedora and so on. I simply see not reason to push for a single distro only because it was one Ubuntu was based upon. Apart of issues with AI, which most probably won't be anything difficult to disable if someone still wants to use Ubuntu or close derivatives.