I asked this before but it might have been buried. Can I run this in a web browser because when I go to the site it wants me to download.
Well, I wouldn’t like AI in any communication client of mine. Perhaps if it’s local to my box I would like that, but this solution really seems cloud based, meaning one could have an AI crawling over one’s data, to do whatever it wants with it. And local solutions usually are not as “good” as the cloud ones for whatever reason (hardware availability, data, and so on):
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.
There’s still tuta, or even /e/ (now a days murena), which still seem safer privacy wise than this new thunderbird option.
I’m really hoping for a “librewolf” kind of fork oriented to privacy, and betterbird doesn’t offer anything like that. The phoenix project has a safer user config for both firefox and thunderbird, but that doesn’t get rid of components (well perhaps it could possibly turn them off, though to make sure they better get ripped at build time).
Does any one know if this new TB service would offer caldav and carddav services as well? I didn’t see anything on stalwart advertisement.
Ok, this part is pretty cool:
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.
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?
NVIDIA’s confidential computing
https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/what-is-confidential-computing/
This is great news, and I might be tempted to use it if I had some reassurance that the mail servers (and the organisation that controls them) weren’t subject to U.S. jurisdiction.
Finally, Mozilla is finally doing something innovative for once. Stalwart is freaking awesome.
Thunderbird is going hard on Rust all of a sudden. Recently they started using it in Thunderbird and now they’re starting a whole service in Stalwart (written in Rust).
Super awesome.
Inb4 Mozilla dies because the lead of the AI development division is the ex-ceo who followed up massive layoffs with doubling her multi-milion salary every few years.
Anything for people to avoid using services like Proton Mail. They’ll ask for a Mozilla webmail, an X web mail, but won’t use an objectively more secure service. Baffles me 🤷♂️
Nazis
Also email privacy is basically made up. How many of your email recipients have protonmail? Maybe 1? That’s how many people you can securely email by default then. For everyone else you need their cert, at which point you can use any email service. Protonmail is marketing. Same with their VPN. Its not snake oil by any stretch but it’s generally not that valuable.
