LibreOffice says 'no AI' is now a software feature

If you’re looking for a document editor that doesn’t use artificial intelligence, LibreOffice may be the software for you.

The Document Foundation, the nonprofit behind the open-source document editor LibreOffice, said in a blog post this week that while it does not reject AI out of hand, it “will not add” AI to its software for the foreseeable future.

The post comes weeks after the release of the latest version of LibreOffice in late August, in which the nonprofit reiterated that the software “contains no generative AI features.” LibreOffice said at the time that this was a “deliberate design position” meant 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 nonprofit added that its software is used by tens of millions of people and organizations, 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.

LibreOffice says users can still choose to use AI tools by installing software extensions that connect the document editor to local AI models.

The decision to forgo built-in AI features runs against the trend among many software makers today of packing in as much AI as possible, even to the detriment of user experience — a dynamic sometimes called the “enshittification” of modern software through bloated chatbot and AI-assistant features. That trend has prompted some developers to build or include tools that block or remove AI features altogether.

AI tools often require users’ data to be uploaded and processed on a remote server, which the user has no control over in terms of how the data is stored or for how long.

LibreOffice said there is currently “no integration” that meets all its requirements, such as ensuring users’ data stays on their device and that the software doesn’t rely on a single AI provider, among other considerations. The organization’s criteria for including AI are not a “definitive rejection,” but rather an assessment of the technology as it exists today, rather than a “judgement on the value of the sector.”

“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 said.

LibreOffice is one of several open-source and alternative software tools used by people looking to limit their reliance on large tech companies.

Why it matters

As AI features become a default sales pitch across productivity software, LibreOffice is betting that a vocal segment of users — especially organizations handling sensitive data — will value a guarantee that their documents never leave the machine.