And now Ubuntu is planning on putting AI into the OS. The future of AI in Ubuntu - Project Discussion - Ubuntu Community Hub
I'm running 26.04 right now, and love it. Wondering how the brothers Zorin are going to get around that. 
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this has been moved to its own thread as it is its own topic.
Quoting from the article:
The bottom line is that Canonical is ramping up its use of AI tools in a focused and principled manner that favours open weight models with license terms that feel most compatible with our values, combined with open source harnesses. AI features will be landing in Ubuntu throughout the next year as we feel that they’re of sufficient maturity and quality, with a bias toward local inference by default.
AI features in Ubuntu features will come in two forms: first as a means of enhancing existing OS functionality with AI models in the background, and latterly in the form of “AI native” features and workflows for those who want them.
It goes on, but this is the meat of it.
The way I've got it figured, you will have some ambivalent, some against A.I. and some in favor of it.
The clincher of this is that if a large group supports it and a large group opposes it; the only proper course is to not include it.
This is because those that support it can install it if they want it.
Those who do not care, do not count.
Those that do not want it are not needlessly subjected to it.
To go the other way means that the A.I. adoption is Integrated A.I.. That means, want it or not, it is baked in.
This means it Must be Serving Canonical's Self Interest and the end users views on it are simply invalid - they have a different customer.
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Ubuntu CEO: We're adding some ai slop to Ubuntu next year.
Me: Hold on to that thought...
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I hope it will never happened or for sure I will left Zorin. My computer is my computer, for those who want a linux like a Microsoft Windows who spy you it's a choice, so why don't go back to Windows.
If I want AI I have my browser and I'm really careful of what any model answer my questions because of hallucinations.
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Completely agree with the statement "Must be Serving Canonical's Self Interest".
AI is a Trojan horse promoting corporate hegemony and self-interests against which open-source Linux is the shining light on the hill.
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Thanks for sharing this. Very important.
I hope the Implementation will first come to the STS Versions. In this Case, at least the 26.04 LTS Version would be free of AI. Normally they implement new Stuff in the STS Versions to test it and then when it is fine for them they put it in the LTS Versions. When it goes this Way for AI, too that would mean that we would see it first in Ubuntu 28.04 LTS. But to say that clear: That is only my Theory and not a Fact!
When they really bring that with Updates in the current LTS Version ... Let me say so: That would be a good Timing for Zorin to really consider to switch for Zorin 19 the Base from Ubuntu to Debian. I don't like the Way Ubuntu already goes with their Snap Implementation. And now this?
When Zorin should really follow this Path with AI in the OS, I wouldn't be able to use it anymore. I don't want AI in my OS. Point. And as sad as it would be, I would have to use a different OS then. Zorin helped me a lot in the Transition to Linux and I am very thankful for this. But when they go this Way, I will go a different one.
@AZorin and @zorink: Can You say something to this? Or is it too early?
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It does seem like Canonical has had more controversy over the years than most distro's.
The Amazon deal that inserted advertising into Ubuntu.
Promising to not replace APT with Snap, then turning right around and breaking that promise.
Fragmented Mir D.P. and Unity D.E. Plus Upstart (Which Upstart was not really that bad).
A return to Snap with Snap Centralization and being closed source.
Canonicals Contributor License Agreement...
Paving the way for Age Verification in Linux...
And...
Now paving the way for integrated A.I. which will probably be integrated and Snapped, as well as probably closed source.
Ubuntu has done a lot of good for Linux as a whole. So has Lennart Poettering or Hans Reiser.
That does not mean we are obligated to ignore the lot of bad.
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I'm afraid that AI will soon be impossible to avoid anywhere and will be deeply integrated into everything - like in WhatsApp, for example - so that you can't remove it. I really don't like the fact that we're being deprived of a choice
and increasingly monitored.
When Ubuntu takes this step, many other distributions will likely follow suit.
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There will be interesting to see what Linux Mint will do. Will they let it included, will they try to kick it out or will they go the Step to say ''Mint Ubuntu is over'' and go the LMDE Path only.
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I'm already tired of this push for AI in everything. I feel like our species have learned nothing from Terminator. AI is both a profit loss, and a profit earner. Corruption is responsible for AI being pushed so hard. Nobody asked for this decades ago, but here we are, AI disrupting people's lives. Innocent people are being arrested everyday due to flock cameras as well, because the AI using them, gets it wrong. When will people learn? Why are we letting companies like META to lobby and manipulate us with the AI, so much so, its affecting our lives in a negative way?
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Great clip from the IT Crowd when found out embezzling pension fund.
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Yes, then after that, his son who has no experience running a business, takes over the company, and likes to inappropriately mess with Jen, the IT department lead. It felt like trading one evil for another. The looks on the board members faces were hilarious though lol.
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Life could be so simple with those two magical words...Opt-Out.
But no, they have to make life harder by not having such an option, and forcing people to like it or not. That's just wrong.
Perhaps we are a species that was created to destroy ourselves. Or perhaps we create AI to destroy us.
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This is very interesting.
Many people came to linux running away from AI.
I don't think AI is necessaraly a bad thing.
But being forced to use it is.
Also the choice of wich one to use is delicate.
For example Lumo from proton would be an acceptable choice for many.
Because it doesn't monitor you and it's completely open source.
It isn't on the level as the top non private AI though.
But I think many people won't mind it being less trained if the AI is completely foss.
So in my opinion let the people choose between different AI models if they opt in. Opt out should also be availiable.
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A.I. gathers data whatever the model to increase it's learning thereby removing the need for humans.
Anything artificial is bad for human health. Take aspartame created by Dick Cheney as an example.
It is demeaning of true intelligent thought and creation. And constant use will lead to a lack of free thought and expression and a dumbing-down of the populous.
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I just installed Zorin after using Ubuntu because of this news. Fortunately, Zorin gives me everything Ubuntu offers, but so far hasn't jumped headfirst into AI, and I can only hope they don't, because I don't want AI incorporated into anything, it's being shoved into so many things where it's not really needed or wanted by a significant portion of the community.
Zorin seems like an oasis, an island in the middle of the storm that has managed to keep Canonical's bad decisions at bay. I hope they can continue this. I already like it here.
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Just an aside here. I got a mailshot from Canva about Affinity yesterday. They have now degraded the product by introducing Claude to do repeat strokes for you. Uggghh. It is a shame that Serif, the creators of Affinity sold out to Canva.
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Heavy Community Backlash Blocks Fedora's AI Developer Desktop Initiative
What looked like a done deal for Fedora is now very much on hold.
The Fedora AI Developer Desktop Initiative, a proposal to build an official platform for AI and machine learning workloads on Fedora, has been blocked after two Fedora Council members retracted their earlier approval votes.