LibreOffice says AI will stay out of default install

The Document Foundation says privacy, local data control and full offline use matter more than adding generative AI to LibreOffice right now.

LibreOffice has taken a clear position on one of software’s biggest trends: it says AI will not be part of the suite’s default installation for the foreseeable future. The Document Foundation, the nonprofit behind LibreOffice, says the decision comes down to user control, privacy and keeping the software fully usable without a network connection. That sets LibreOffice apart from a growing number of products that are folding AI into everyday tools. For users handling sensitive files, that difference is not minor.

The announcement matters because LibreOffice is used by tens of millions of people and organizations. For many of them, a document editor is where confidential, personal or legally sensitive material is created and stored. The foundation’s message is straightforward: at least for now, it does not see a safe enough way to bring AI into the core product without undermining that trust.

LibreOffice says AI will stay outside the core app

In a blog post this week, The Document Foundation said it does not reject AI outright, but it “will not add” AI to LibreOffice for the foreseeable future. The statement followed the release of the latest LibreOffice version in late August, when the nonprofit again stressed that the software “contains no generative AI features.”

The foundation presented that not as a gap, but as a deliberate product choice. It says documents should not be uploaded to a server for processing, and no part of the software should depend on a network connection to work.

That is a notable stance at a time when many software companies are trying to weave AI into routine apps. In LibreOffice’s view, the technology in its current form does not match the office suite’s design principles.

Privacy and offline use drive the decision

LibreOffice says the policy is meant to preserve control over user data. The organization argues that people should know where their information goes, especially when they are working with confidential, legally privileged or personal material.

It went further, saying that in an audit, the only assurance that really matters is that the data does not leave the machine. As IT-PUB News notes, that is the center of the foundation’s concern: many AI tools process text and other content on remote servers, which can limit a user’s direct control over storage and retention.

For some users, that will be the main attraction of LibreOffice’s position. The software remains fully usable without an internet connection, and the foundation is treating that offline model as a feature, not a shortcoming.

Extensions remain an option for users who want AI

LibreOffice is not banning AI altogether. The foundation said users who want AI features can install extensions that connect the editor to local AI models.

That distinction matters. AI is not being pushed out of the wider LibreOffice ecosystem; it is being kept out of the default package. In practice, that leaves room for people who want AI assistance, while users who do not want it are not required to accept those tools as part of the base product.

The nonprofit also said there is currently “no integration” that meets all of its requirements. Those include keeping user data on the device and avoiding dependence on a single AI provider. The organization did not frame this as a permanent refusal, but as a judgment about the technology as it exists today.

LibreOffice also taps into frustration with software bloat

The move also speaks to a broader frustration with modern software. LibreOffice is going against the trend of adding more AI features to apps, even when users have not asked for them. The source text connects that to complaints about bloated software and the so-called “enshittification” of products weighed down by chatbots and AI assistants.

That helps explain why the announcement is drawing attention beyond LibreOffice’s own user base. For some people, the issue is not just AI itself. It is also the sense that software is becoming more complex, more dependent on outside services and less predictable. LibreOffice is presenting itself as an alternative for users who want a simpler, more self-contained tool.

The foundation said its criteria for including AI are not a “definitive rejection” of the sector. It described the decision as an assessment of what is possible now, not a final verdict on AI in general. Still, until an approach meets those requirements, LibreOffice says there will be no AI of any kind in the default installation.