If you're seeking a document editor that deliberately avoids artificial intelligence, LibreOffice might be your ideal choice.
The Document Foundation, the nonprofit behind the open-source LibreOffice suite, announced in a blog post this week that while it doesn't reject AI outright, it "will not add" AI to its software for the foreseeable future. This declaration came shortly after the release of LibreOffice 26.8 in late August, where the organization reiterated that the software "contains no generative AI features."
LibreOffice framed this as a "deliberate design position" aimed at ensuring users' documents are never uploaded to a server for processing and that no part of the software requires a network connection to function. With tens of millions of users and organizations relying on LibreOffice, the nonprofit emphasized that users should retain full 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 stated.
While AI features are absent by default, users can still opt to integrate AI tools through extensions that connect LibreOffice to local AI models.
This decision bucks the trend of many software makers cramming AI into every corner, often at the expense of user experience. The so-called "enshittification" of modern software—packed with unnecessary, bloated features like chatbots and AI assistants—has prompted some developers to create tools that block or remove AI features altogether. For instance, in 2026, Firefox introduced an option to block all generative AI features, and a command-line tool emerged to quickly strip Apple Intelligence from macOS 27.
AI tools typically require uploading user data to remote servers, where users have no control over storage duration or handling. LibreOffice noted that no current AI integration meets all its requirements, such as keeping data on-device and avoiding reliance on a single AI provider. The organization's criteria for AI inclusion is not a "definitive rejection," but rather an assessment of today's technology—not a judgment on the sector's value.
"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 concluded.
LibreOffice stands as one of many open-source and alternative software options that help users escape the grasp of Silicon Valley tech giants.
via TechCrunch AI