Thunderbird launches Thundermail and Pro services to offer an open-source alternative to Gmail and Office365, focused on privacy, freedom, and user control.
Thunderbird Assist will also be available. This experimental feature, developed in collaboration with Flower AI, offers optional artificial intelligence functionalities for users who want them while also addressing privacy concerns head-on. On devices robust enough to handle AI models locally, Thunderbird Assist processes everything on the user’s own machine.
However, for users on less powerful hardware, the development team has integrated NVIDIA’s confidential computing to keep any remote processing secure. Rest assured, those who prefer to skip AI services can continue using Thunderbird without these extras.
I’ve been unwilling to touch cloud based AI, much less expose my emails to it as there’s no guarantee of privacy, but being able to run a local model allows you the functionality without the risk. Haven’t used Thunderbird in years, but this is tempting me to give it another shot.
Your points are valid, but I look at AI as an unavoidable trend in the tech space, which is why I experiment with local models. I’d rather understand how they work (and how to protect oneself from them) as I believe avoiding them isn’t really possible in my field.
Thus far, the local models I’ve worked with have gotten a C- on coding, but an A+ on bullshit. I think the tech still has a long way to go before it lives up to the hype, both negative and positive.
I keep saying this. As if humans aren’t dumb enough and lazy as hell without AI… I’ve met maybe 1 younger person out of hundreds that actually shows interest in learning and work ethic (the good kind, not boomerism). I’m not even old, but it’s looking like a dark road for humans. Now Fuck You, this is Carl’s Jr!
Ok, this part is pretty cool:
I’ve been unwilling to touch cloud based AI, much less expose my emails to it as there’s no guarantee of privacy, but being able to run a local model allows you the functionality without the risk. Haven’t used Thunderbird in years, but this is tempting me to give it another shot.
They don’t list which stolen data Flower Ai was trained on. Ai slop is Ai slop and will only lead to less critical thinking from the general population: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/lee_2025_ai_critical_thinking_survey.pdf
Your points are valid, but I look at AI as an unavoidable trend in the tech space, which is why I experiment with local models. I’d rather understand how they work (and how to protect oneself from them) as I believe avoiding them isn’t really possible in my field.
Thus far, the local models I’ve worked with have gotten a C- on coding, but an A+ on bullshit. I think the tech still has a long way to go before it lives up to the hype, both negative and positive.
I keep saying this. As if humans aren’t dumb enough and lazy as hell without AI… I’ve met maybe 1 younger person out of hundreds that actually shows interest in learning and work ethic (the good kind, not boomerism). I’m not even old, but it’s looking like a dark road for humans. Now Fuck You, this is Carl’s Jr!
What’s that NVIDIA’s confidential computing?