'No AI' Is LibreOffice's Newest Feature as Software Makers Race in the Opposite Direction

LibreOffice 26.8 is making a point of what it does not include: built-in artificial intelligence. The Document Foundation (TDF), the non-profit organisation behind the open-source office suite, has presented the lack of default AI features as a deliberate choice.

The approach stands in contrast to commercial software companies increasingly adding generative AI assistants to productivity tools. TDF says its position is centred on privacy, offline use and data sovereignty, particularly for organisations handling sensitive information.

Privacy Comes First for Sensitive Documents

The absence of AI from LibreOffice's default installation is intended to address concerns around confidential documents, according to TDF. Schools, hospitals, law firms and public agencies can face strict requirements when handling sensitive or legally privileged records.

One way to protect private information is to keep it on your own computer instead of sending it to outside servers.

Many AI tools work online, which can mean your documents are sent to remote servers for processing. That can raise questions about who can access the information and how long it is kept. LibreOffice avoids that concern by keeping AI out of its core software.

TDF has outlined six conditions for any AI feature to be considered for default inclusion. Users must be able to choose where the AI runs, and documents must not leave their computer without permission. The software must not track users or depend on one company's AI system.

AI-generated content must keep the document's original formatting and structure. Any AI features must also be optional and easy to remove. TDF says no current AI integration meets all six requirements, so LibreOffice does not include AI by default.

Users can still add AI features through third-party extensions. Many connect LibreOffice to locally running open models using tools such as Ollama or LM Studio.

LibreOffice Rejects AI Bloat

The decision also reflects concerns about 'enshittification', a term used when software becomes overloaded with unwanted features, chatbots and online services running in the background.

TDF's non-profit structure also separates LibreOffice from subscription-driven software businesses. It does not operate subscription tiers or rely on monetising user data. Other privacy-focused software projects also use offline-first approaches, with AI offered as an optional feature rather than included by default.

The move comes as some workers push back against being forced to use AI on the job. Coinbase chief executive Brian Armstrong said some engineers who failed to sign up for AI tools without good reason faced job losses. Research also suggests productivity can initially fall after AI adoption.

One US Census Bureau working paper linked greater industrial AI use in manufacturing to lower short-term productivity.

Separate research found that experienced software developers took 19 per cent longer to complete the studied tasks when using AI. The same study identified time spent reviewing and correcting AI-generated output as one factor contributing to the slowdown.

For organisations, offline software can make privacy easier to manage because files stay on the computers they are using. It can also be installed across many machines without needing an AI service or constant internet connection.