Firefox AI Window: Mozilla Challenges Chrome With New AI Browsing Mode

Mozilla Firefox has joined the fast-growing AI browser race with the introduction of Firefox AI Window, an optional AI-powered browsing mode based on user choice and privacy. The move comes as OpenAI’s ChatGPT Atlas and Perplexity’s Comet further heighten the competition in a market long dominated by Google Chrome.

Mozilla says AI Window is designed to make browsing better without pushing users through an AI-driven workflow. The company stresses that Firefox will be a traditional browser by default, where users are left completely in control over how — and whether — they use AI tools.

What is AI Window? A privacy-centered, opt-in AI layer

In a blog post, Mozilla said AI Window will be a specific space within Firefox where users can converse with an AI assistant, summarize pages, or get contextual help as they browse. This feature is not turned on by default; users have to opt-in and can turn it off at any time.

“Others are building AI experiences that trap you in a conversational loop,” Mozilla wrote. “We see a different path — one where AI enhances your browsing and guides you outward to the wider web.”

Users will access the feature by joining a waitlist. Mozilla also confirmed that users will be able to select which AI model they use, reinforcing the company’s “no lock-in” philosophy.

Part of a Broader AI Strategy at Mozilla

AI Window is the third AI feature introduced by Firefox, after:

An AI Sidebar Chatbot on Desktop

Shake-to-Summarize is an iOS tool that gives you an AI-generated summary of any webpage.

These features are part of Mozilla’s broader effort to bring AI into Firefox, without sacrificing privacy, transparency, or user agency.

Chrome Still Leads, but AI Browsers Are Rising

It has been several years since Google Chrome last faced meaningful competition, but new AI-native browsers like Perplexity’s Comet and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Atlas are offering agentic AI capabilities: allowing the AI to take action on behalf of the user.

Perplexity Comet is available now on desktop and is coming soon to mobile.

ChatGPT Atlas launched on macOS, and is now expanding to more platforms

Even traditional rivals are evolving:

Microsoft Edge embeds Copilot directly into the browser.

Chrome is testing AI-powered page summaries, smart tools

Opera and Samsung Internet have introduced AI extensions.

Yet Mozilla retains one underlying advantage: Firefox runs on its own Gecko engine, not Chromium. That makes it the only major non-Chromium browser in the AI race – and a rare alternative for users who want independence from Google’s ecosystem.

According to SimilarWeb, Chrome has 69.33% of the desktop browser market share, with Edge coming in at 15.48%, Safari following at 7.5%, and Firefox sitting at 4.84%.

AI as an Optional Mode, Not a Forced Experience

As Mozilla explains, it’s not looking to make Firefox an AI-first browser, but instead to offer multiple ways for people to browse:

Classic Firefox

Private Window

AI Window

Although AI is becoming integral to the way people navigate the web, the company believes users should not be constrained to experiences driven by artificial intelligence or locked into proprietary ecosystems.

“We’re building a better browser, not an agenda,” Mozilla wrote.

Mozilla Opens Community Waitlist and Seeks Feedback

AI Window is still an early prototype, and Mozilla is encouraging users and developers to help determine how it will evolve. Using Mozilla Connect, users can:

Test early builds

Submit ideas

Report issues.

ALSO READ: OpenAI Challenges Google with ChatGPT Atlas Browser

Contribute to open-source development

Mozilla says that Firefox should continue to stay fast, private, and secure even while experimenting with AI-assisted features.

Recent Privacy Concerns Prompt Clarifications

Earlier this year, Mozilla faced criticism after it updated Terms of Use. A line in those terms of use — “You hereby grant us a license to use” data entered through Firefox — sparked fears that Mozilla could access personal data.

Later the company explained:

It does not own user data.

Only basic browser functionality is licensed. Some AI features, such as translation and PDF alt-text, run completely on-device. No data is used to train AI without explicit permission. Mozilla updated its language in March to indicate that Firefox users retain full ownership of their content. Later, it killed an FAQ that read “we don’t sell your personal data” because “inconsistent legal definitions of ‘sell'” might confuse people-most notably when it came to features involving sponsored suggestions.4

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