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Mozilla is building an AI 'rebel alliance' to take on OpenAI, Anthropic

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Re: Mozilla is building an AI 'rebel alliance' to take on OpenAI, Anthropic

#31

Post by dotBen »

dralley wrote: post #23
mittensc wrote: post #10

> Mozilla is focused on deploying its roughly $1.4 billion worth of reserves to support “mission driven” organizations, according to a new report. > The nonprofit, also the parent of Firefox, is investing in artificial intelligence startups that are working on safety and governance issues in AI. Why?, they want to go bankrupt?, do they like burning money? I would understand investing in AI Tech... Brilliant if they u…

The charitable entity known as the Mozilla Foundation and the development entity known as the Mozilla Corporation are not the same. Nothing wrong with the foundation doing these things with their spare cash, it literally does not impact Firefox at all.

The concern, I think, is that their spare cash is dwindling and thus financial prudence might be beneficial - especially for those who rely on the core Mozilla propositions like Firefox.

Re: Mozilla is building an AI 'rebel alliance' to take on OpenAI, Anthropic

#32

Post by direwolf20 »

pseudalopex wrote: post #22
some_furry wrote: post #6

How about building a better AI-free browser first, Mozilla? Is that too much to ask for?

Growing and investing in Firefox remains our biggest priority. Mozilla Corporation’s leading aim is to grow as a meaningful, differentiated browser, trusted by over 200mil people. In 2025 the team made great progress shipping tab groups, vertical tabs, smart tabs, many sidebar integrations with AI companies and more. Mozilla Corp welcomed Anthony Enzor-DeMeo, the first technologist to serve as CEO in over 15 years. I…

Ah, replicating things that already exist as extensions. So useful.

Re: Mozilla is building an AI 'rebel alliance' to take on OpenAI, Anthropic

#34

Post by sdellis »

mittensc wrote: post #10

> Mozilla is focused on deploying its roughly $1.4 billion worth of reserves to support “mission driven” organizations, according to a new report. > The nonprofit, also the parent of Firefox, is investing in artificial intelligence startups that are working on safety and governance issues in AI. Why?, they want to go bankrupt?, do they like burning money? I would understand investing in AI Tech... Brilliant if they u…

Except that government, at least in the U.S., is not doing their job. This administration doesn't want to regulate AI.

Re: Mozilla is building an AI 'rebel alliance' to take on OpenAI, Anthropic

#37

Post by wolvoleo »

dralley wrote: post #27
wolvoleo wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes please let them focus on making Firefox economically sustainable without Google. Then worry about all the fluffy dogood stuff

The problem is that there is no way to make Firefox economically sustainable without Google (or some other search provider, but google won that war comprehensively). Browsers are fully commoditized and subsidized. Funding the browser with a combination of outside revenue sources and search deals is the way everyone does it.

It can, they just need to approach it not like a big corporation with a multi million dollar a year CEO but as a grassroots project.

If something like KDE can build a whole desktop on a shoestring budget with some donations, Firefox can too. And I'd gladly donate to it. Problem is I can't because you can only donate to the foundation. And I don't want to fund their dogood distractions, just firefox.

Besides, the search deal will end one way or another. Either Firefox will lose so much marketshare that Google no longer bothers, or the DoJ will finally ban the search deals. Relying on it is ultra stupid.

Re: Mozilla is building an AI 'rebel alliance' to take on OpenAI, Anthropic

#38

Post by noo_u »

sdellis wrote: post #34
mittensc wrote: post #10

> Mozilla is focused on deploying its roughly $1.4 billion worth of reserves to support “mission driven” organizations, according to a new report. > The nonprofit, also the parent of Firefox, is investing in artificial intelligence startups that are working on safety and governance issues in AI. Why?, they want to go bankrupt?, do they like burning money? I would understand investing in AI Tech... Brilliant if they u…

Except that government, at least in the U.S., is not doing their job. This administration doesn't want to regulate AI.

Whether or not it is the government's job is to be regulating a specific thing is not as straightforward of an issue as it may seem.

Re: Mozilla is building an AI 'rebel alliance' to take on OpenAI, Anthropic

#40

Post by PlatoIsADisease »

Conspiracy theory time? Conspiracy theory time.

I think the trillion dollar companies have enough money, they can hire people as 'plants'.

Okay, before this is marked as crazy talk: Historically this has happened, this isnt a new invention. A company needs to survive, not be ethical. Using third parties give plausible deniability.

I look at the atrocious state of LibreOffice, and I'm pretty sure someone from Microsoft is screwing things up. Might just be a little bit of friction and fake concern over a useful change. Maybe they even find someone who already does this and fund it as a full time job.

I look at Firefox, and I wonder if Google somehow is significantly influencing things there. Google keeps Firefox alive to prevent anti-trust. But they make sure funding is diverted from browser to wasteful projects.

When I worked for a fortune 20 company, we had a major, irrational push away from python into Microsoft Power Automate. Other people were convinced either our director was a Microsoft plant, or was getting some sort of kickback.

Here is my question:

What is the business called where people do this? Like if these companies paid a third party, what is this categorized as? (For instance, paying for reddit upvotes and comments is called 'Reputation Management')

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