AI features are coming to the most popular Linux distro.
  • Australis13@fedia.io
    3 hours

    If they get it right (opt in by default, respects privacy, appropriately sandboxed for security, clearly defined use case, etc.) then I can see how this could be useful.

    But it’s a big if.

    • fxdave@lemmy.mlEnglish
      42 minutes

      I use incus as a sandbox for claude. Previously I used podman, but podman in podman is a pain, so I gave it a full vm 😄

    • volore@scribe.disroot.orgEnglish
      3 hours

      yup. at the moment if you want a truly private, properly useful local AI agent you basically have to set one up correctly, manually, yourself. Having one come as part of the OS already largely set up for the user would be a massive W.

      but yeah, If.

    • chunes@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4 hours

      There will be plenty of distros that don’t. Ubuntu tracks as the first one that would.

    • imjustmsk@lemmy.mlEnglish
      3 hours

      People running away from windows shouldn’t chose ubuntu then, It might be the most popular distro- and somany people who do use it have similar nonchalant mindset as of windows users, so we people who don’t want shit like that in our operating systems shouldnt use it.

  • acido@feddit.itEnglish
    4 hours

    One of the most popular Linux distributions is about to get an influx of AI features. As reported by Phoronix, Jon Seager, VP of engineering at Ubuntu developer Canonical, shared a blog post on Monday detailing plans to add AI features to the Linux distro over the next year. As the post states, the AI 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.”

    These features will range from accessibility tools like improved speech-to-text and text-to-speech to agentic AI features for tasks like troubleshooting or personal automation. According to Seager, Canonical will be prioritizing model transparency and local inference when adding these AI features. Behind the scenes, Canonical is also encouraging its engineers to use AI more, but Seager noted that “I will not be measuring people at Canonical by how much they use AI, but rather continue to measure them on how well they deliver.”

    Seager goes on to add that AI features could potentially help new users navigate the “famously fragmented” Linux desktop ecosystem: “If we’re careful about how we employ LLMs in a system context, they could demystify the capabilities of a modern Linux workstation and bring them to a much wider audience.”

    • irate944@piefed.socialEnglish
      2 hours

      The idea sounds reasonable to me.

      Of course, between idea and execution a lot can change. But as long they take some sane design decisions (opt-in, transparent, sandboxed, give the user freedom to use their own API or local models, etc), I’m fine with it

  • fireshell@kbin.earth
    2 hours

    Ubuntu has taken another wrong turn. She’s going left and right like a prodigal daughter. And no one will be able to talk sense into her until she’s had her share of bumps.