LibreOffice Makes No Built-In AI a Feature as Rivals Add Assistants

LibreOffice is turning the absence of built-in artificial intelligence into a product feature. The Document Foundation, the nonprofit behind the open-source office suite, says it does not plan to add AI to the default installation for the foreseeable future.

In a September blog post outlining its position, the organisation said it is not rejecting AI outright. Instead, it argues that current integrations do not meet its requirements for user control, offline operation and independence from a single AI provider.

LibreOffice 26.8 deliberately ships without generative AI

The position follows the August release of LibreOffice 26.8, which The Document Foundation emphasised contains no generative AI features. It described that absence as a deliberate design choice rather than a missing capability.

LibreOffice is designed so documents don’t need to be sent to external servers, and the core software can function without a network connection. The organisation says that approach is particularly important for users handling confidential, legally privileged or personal information.

AI remains available through optional extensions

LibreOffice users can still add AI through extensions, including tools that connect to models running locally. That lets people enable AI features without making them part of the standard installation for everyone.

The Document Foundation said it would reconsider built-in AI if an integration could satisfy its technical and privacy requirements. For now, it says no available approach meets all of those conditions.

The stance differs from a broader software industry trend in which AI assistants are increasingly built directly into operating systems and productivity applications. That expansion has also created demand for tools that remove or turn off built-in AI features for users who do not want them.

No built-in AI is a current policy, not a permanent ban

The Document Foundation has framed the decision as an assessment of current technology rather than a permanent rejection of AI. Its stated policy leaves room for that position to change if future integrations meetLibreOffice’ss requirements.

Until then, generative AI will remain outside the default LibreOffice installation, while optional extensions let users add those capabilities themselves.