Skip to main content


@nextcloud I just read the announcement on your blog about your "#AI assistant".

nextcloud.com/blog/first-open-…

As a #Nextcloud administrator, how do I turn this off as completely as possible with as little risk as possible of it being automatically re-enabled by any future update?

This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to John Morahan

The way they have handled AI so far has actually been quite well.
They are aware of its risks and moral and ethical dilemmas.
You have to actively enable them. I think even the Suspicious Logins-app, which is technically AI by training and executing a local model on the logins, is not enabled by default.

But most people mean LLM when they say AI, so Suspicious Logins may be fine for you?

But still, it's about consent. 😀

in reply to Oliver

I'm not using Suspicious Logins but I have no problem with it in principle. It doesn't have the moral and ethical problems that LLMs have. And using a local model, which is apparently Nextcloud's "solution", at best solves only the privacy problem and partially mitigates the inference energy use problem. It does nothing for training energy use, training data consent/compensation, user mental health, slop proliferation and erosion of trust, etc etc etc
in reply to John Morahan

I'll also note that nobody from @nextcloud has yet responded with any assurance that this will in fact remain optional and opt-in
in reply to John Morahan

I wouldn't count on them responding here. They do sometimes, but they are not as active here I think. Maybe they'll do it someday. 😀

Until then:
“AI has a ton of opportunity – but also risk. So we put you in control – off by default!” said @Karlitschek according to this blog post from 2023: nextcloud.com/blog/ai-in-nextc…

And in this admin manual they mention that all AI features are completely optional:
docs.nextcloud.com/server/stab…

in reply to Oliver

I like Nextcloud’s take here.
Giving your loudest and most-paying customers what they want, empowering everybody to try it out, without forcing it on everybody.

This off-by-default is something, a certain browser with a fox should have done too, imho. 😀

Also, I see Frank as very principle-driven and trust him to not go back on his words.

in reply to Oliver

we are a bit late to the party. We confirm it that AI in Nextcloud is off by default. And if they decide to go for it, people themselves choose what models to integrate and enable to use AI tools. We provide an opportunity to use it, and inform about risks how existing models work from the POV of ethical use of AI.

Lo, thar be cookies on this site to keep track of your login. By clicking 'okay', you are CONSENTING to this.