Mozilla Firefox enters the AI browser race with a user-first push

Mozilla Firefox has officially entered the AI browser race. The company has unveiled AI Window, a new mode inside Firefox designed to bring an AI assistant into your browsing flow while giving you something its rivals rarely offer: the freedom to choose which model does the thinking. At a time when Chrome is weaving Gemini deeper into its interface and Edge behaves like Copilot’s personal showroom, Mozilla’s countermove feels refreshingly contrarian.

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Instead of corralling users into a single AI ecosystem, AI Window sits alongside classic and private modes as a separate space for smarter browsing. Mozilla says its approach is about supporting the open web rather than pulling people into endless chat threads. A public waitlist has already gone live, and Mozilla is building the feature “in the open”, inviting feedback while development is underway.

A comeback attempt with sharper edges

AI Window is Mozilla’s biggest swing in years. Firefox’s market share has fallen to around three per cent, and while the browser still has a loyal base, it hasn’t enjoyed a mainstream moment in a long while. Last year’s iPhone-only “shake to summarise” feature was fun, but not the seismic shift Mozilla needed. This new AI mode is more of a strategic attempt to claw back relevance in a world reshaped by AI-first interfaces.

The challenge is steep. Google continues its Gemini push inside Chrome, Microsoft is doubling down on Copilot, and newer players like Arc and Perplexity are reshaping the idea of what a browser can be. If this is an arms race, Mozilla simply can’t sit out another round.

But Mozilla also knows its strengths. Privacy and user choice have long been part of the brand’s identity, and letting people pick their preferred AI model is a logical extension of that stance. The details like which models will be available, how switching works, and what the interface looks like, are still under wraps.

Regardless, for the first time in a while, Firefox is making moves that feel genuinely interesting, and in this era of AI-crowded browsers, that’s already a win. Will you give Firefox’s AI Mode a go? Drop a comment with your thoughts.