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Browsers like Firefox are alleged to be consuming excessive CPU resources, according to some users' reports.

AI identified as expected: apparent case of artificially intelligent entity

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Browser users claim excessive CPU usage by Firefox
Browser users claim excessive CPU usage by Firefox

Browsers like Firefox are alleged to be consuming excessive CPU resources, according to some users' reports.

Firefox, the popular web browser, has recently been the subject of discussion due to a feature causing CPU and power usage spikes. This issue stems from an AI chatbot and AI-enhanced tab groups feature built into the browser.

In July, Firefox 141 introduced an AI-enhanced tab groups feature, which uses a local AI model to suggest more tabs and group names based on open tabs' titles and descriptions [1]. In April, this feature was first reported in Firefox 138 [2]. However, some users have been experiencing CPU and power usage spikes caused by a background process called Inference.

Mozilla has been embedding Language Model (LLM) bots into recent versions of Firefox for the purpose of naming tab groups [3]. The first button in the group at the bottom of the tab sidebar in Firefox is this AI chatbot [4].

To completely disable the Firefox AI chatbot feature causing CPU spikes and power drain, you need to adjust about:config settings in Firefox. Specifically, set the following preferences to false:

These two toggles disable the AI chatbot and the smart tab grouping AI feature respectively, which are responsible for the high CPU and battery usage caused by the "Inference" process running in the background [1][4][5].

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to disable the AI chatbot:

  1. Open Firefox and enter in the address bar.
  2. Accept the risk warning to proceed to advanced settings.
  3. In the search bar at the top, enter .
  4. Double-click or use the toggle button to set it to false.
  5. Next, search for .
  6. Set that to false as well.

Optionally, you can also hide the chatbot from the sidebar via Firefox Settings or Customize Sidebar, but this may only be temporary as the AI features can re-enable after updates [1][2][3]. The about:config method is the most complete way to turn it off.

Disabling these settings has been confirmed to stop the inference AI process, reduce CPU usage significantly, and improve battery life [3][4]. Users have reported fans running loudly and CPU spiking before disabling these.

In addition, Firefox is working to improve client-side matching in the address bar, which may cause performance issues due to a private on-device AI process called Inference [6]. Users can use Firefox's built-in process monitor to check the activity of the AI chatbot by typing a specific key in the address bar [7].

If users want to disable all local inference features in Firefox, they can toggle the preference in about:config [8]. However, it's important to note that tech-clueless management continues to forcibly insert "AI" everywhere it can possibly go, leading to concerns about its unnecessary integration in various systems [9].

Meanwhile, other cybersecurity issues have been reported. Russia's RomCom is among those exploiting a WinRAR 0-day in highly-targeted attacks [10]. Infosec hounds have also spotted a prompt injection vulnerability in Google Gemini apps [11].

[1] https://www.techradar.com/news/firefox-141-gets-ai-enhanced-tab-groups [2] https://www.techradar.com/news/firefox-138-gets-ai-enhanced-tab-groups [3] https://www.techradar.com/news/firefox-141-gets-ai-chatbot [4] https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23212343/firefox-141-ai-chatbot-side-panel-tab-groups [5] https://www.pcworld.com/article/3734665/firefox-141-adds-ai-powered-tab-grouping-feature.html [6] https://www.techradar.com/news/firefox-working-on-improved-client-side-matching-in-address-bar [7] https://www.techradar.com/news/firefox-users-can-monitor-ai-chatbot-activity-with-built-in-tool [8] https://www.techradar.com/news/firefox-users-can-disable-all-local-inference-features [9] https://www.techradar.com/news/tech-clueless-management-continues-to-force-ai-everywhere [10] https://www.techradar.com/news/winrar-0-day-exploited-in-highly-targeted-attacks [11] https://www.techradar.com/news/google-gemini-apps-prompt-injection-vulnerability-discovered

  1. The AI chatbot and AI-enhanced tab groups feature, introduced in Firefox 141 and first reported in Firefox 138, have been the source of CPU and power usage spikes for some users, due to a background process called Inference.
  2. To completely disable the AI chatbot in Firefox, users can adjust their about:config settings. Specifically, setting * and * to false will shut off the AI chatbot and the smart tab grouping AI feature, respectively, thereby stopping the Inference process and reducing CPU usage.
  3. The integration of AI in various systems, such as the AI chatbot in Firefox, has raised concerns about its unnecessary insertion amidst reports of other cybersecurity issues. For instance, Russia's RomCom is known to exploit a WinRAR 0-day in highly-targeted attacks.

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