LibreOffice just had its biggest week ever, and the reason has nothing to do with new buttons or menus. The free office software told users it has no generative AI features, and downloads broke records.
The Numbers Behind the Rise
LibreOffice 26.8 came out on August 26th. In one week, the file used to set it up was obtained more than 1 million times. That number does not count updates drawn through Linux distribution channels, so the true reach is likely higher still.
LibreOffice has been around for nearly two decades as a free alternative to Microsoft Office. Some might point to its improvements to the writing system and text display as the reason for its popularity among NGOs, government agencies, and offices that use the software. That explanation is only one possibility, not a settled fact.
What Actually Changed
The 26.8 version brought improvements to the writing system and to how text is displayed on the page. Those upgrades could matter to the NGOs and government offices that use LibreOffice, though it isn’t clear that’s what caused the numbers.
But the detail that traveled farthest was a statement about what LibreOffice does not have: generative AI. The Document Foundation, which manages the software, says that choice is deliberate, tied to concerns about privacy. That statement is a likely candidate for what pushed the download count so high, more than any new feature added.
TDF Explains Itself
A day after word of the download record got out, along with wide attention from the press, The Document Foundation published a post titled “Yes, no AI is now a feature.” It was signed by Italo Vignoli.
The post says TDF “does not reject artificial intelligence out of hand.” But the technology, in its current form, does not meet a full list of principles TDF requires before including it without asking users first. The foundation lays out those conditions in plain terms, leaving little doubt about where it stands.
The Six Principles
TDF laid out exactly what it expects from AI before including it without asking users first. The list covers control, privacy, and independence from any single company:
- User-controlled execution.
- No content may leave the computer without permission.
- No tracking of any kind.
- No reliance on a single vendor.
- No giving way on file format.
- Not required to use.
Until AI software meets those conditions, TDF is pointing users toward community extensions for anyone who wants AI worked into LibreOffice.
A Criticism of Rivals
The Document Foundation’s post goes further than laying out principles alone. It argues its position “has almost nothing to do with the technology” itself.
Instead, TDF points at other companies that have rushed to add AI features. The post says an AI assistant gives those companies a reason to raise prices and makes the case for keeping all documents inside their own systems. That’s a reference to companies that sell subscriptions and want to keep users tied to their own infrastructure. The foundation frames its own stance as a contrast to that business model, not simply a technical preference.
Not Quite a Statement Against AI
Some read the original 26.8 announcement as a stand against AI entirely. TDF’s second post changes that reading.
The foundation says it isn’t opposed to AI as a technology. Its objection is to AI that ships without asking users first and without meeting the six principles listed above. That distinction matters to anyone trying to understand what TDF actually believes, since the two positions can look similar from a distance but rest on very different reasoning.
A Question From 2023 Answered
Since 2023, one question has followed the software industry: if AI gets worked into nearly every piece of software, is there still room for AI-free software to stand out? LibreOffice’s download numbers suggest the answer is yes.
Key facts:
– LibreOffice 26.8 came out August 26th
– Over 1 million downloads of the file used to set it up in one week (does not count Linux repository updates)
– TDF post “Yes, no AI is now a feature” published the day after the download record was announced, signed by Italo Vignoli
– TDF lists six principles AI must meet before it is included without asking users
For now, LibreOffice remains the office software that made “no AI” its headline feature — and the download numbers show plenty of people wanted exactly that.
Source: manualdousuario.net
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