LibreOffice Says ‘No AI’ Is Now a Feature

LibreOffice is taking a very different approach to the current rush to put generative AI inside productivity software.

The Document Foundation, the nonprofit organization behind LibreOffice, says “no AI is now a feature” and that generative AI will not be built into the office suite's default installation for the foreseeable future.

That does not mean LibreOffice is permanently rejecting AI. Instead, the project says any future integration would have to meet strict requirements around user control, privacy, local processing, open standards, and provider choice.

Read The Document Foundation's explanation

What LibreOffice Means by “No AI”

LibreOffice 26.8 ships without built-in generative AI features.

The Document Foundation says this is a deliberate design position rather than a missing feature. The suite does not require documents to be sent to a remote AI service, and no network connection is required for normal use.

That matters for organizations working with confidential or regulated information, such as schools, public agencies, law firms, hospitals, and businesses handling sensitive documents.

LibreOffice's position is that document contents should remain under the user's control unless the user explicitly chooses otherwise.

The Rules LibreOffice Wants AI to Follow

The Document Foundation outlined several principles that any future AI integration would need to satisfy.

First, users should be able to choose where inference happens. That could mean locally on the user's own computer, on infrastructure controlled by their organization, or on an external service they independently select.

Second, no document content should leave the computer without clear authorization.

Third, the project says AI features should not introduce telemetry or force users into a single provider.

LibreOffice also wants generated content to remain compatible with open document standards rather than creating another route to proprietary lock-in.

Finally, any AI feature would have to be entirely optional.

AI Extensions Are Still Allowed

LibreOffice is not blocking users from adding AI themselves.

The office suite supports third-party extensions, and some of those extensions can connect LibreOffice to local AI systems such as Ollama, LM Studio, or OpenAI-compatible endpoints.

That gives advanced users a way to experiment with AI while keeping the default application free of built-in generative features.

The Document Foundation cautions that these extensions are independently developed and should be evaluated like any other third-party software, especially if they connect to cloud services.

Why This Is Different From Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace

Most major productivity platforms are moving in the opposite direction.

AI assistants are becoming deeply integrated into document editors, spreadsheets, email, collaboration tools, and enterprise software.

LibreOffice's position is that its nonprofit model gives it less pressure to use AI as an upsell or subscription differentiator.

That does not automatically make one model better than another. It does make LibreOffice an increasingly distinct choice for users who want an office suite without a built-in AI layer.

Privacy Is the Main Argument

The Document Foundation's strongest argument is about where user data goes.

If an office suite sends document contents to a remote service for summarization, rewriting, analysis, or generation, that creates additional questions about data handling, retention, security, and regulatory compliance.

LibreOffice avoids that issue by not including a default generative AI service.

For individual users, the practical benefit is simple: opening and editing a document does not require sending that document to an AI provider.

Could LibreOffice Add AI Later?

Yes.

The Document Foundation says its current position is not a permanent rejection of artificial intelligence.

It says local inference is becoming more practical and open models are improving quickly. If an approach eventually meets its requirements around privacy, user control, open standards, and optional installation, LibreOffice says it would evaluate it.

Until then, generative AI will remain outside the default installation.

What This Means for Philippine Users

LibreOffice remains a free, open-source alternative for students, home users, small businesses, schools, and organizations that do not want an AI assistant built directly into their office software.

That could be especially useful on shared PCs, offline systems, older hardware, or environments where sending documents to cloud services is undesirable.

Users who do want AI can still add it through extensions or run local models separately.

The Bottom Line

LibreOffice is turning the absence of built-in generative AI into a product position.

The Document Foundation says the office suite will not add default AI functionality until it can do so without compromising user control, document privacy, provider choice, open formats, and optionality.

For users who want AI everywhere, that may feel conservative.

For users who specifically want an office suite that works without AI, cloud processing, telemetry, or a subscription, LibreOffice is making that difference increasingly explicit.