LibreOffice sets download record after touting 'no AI' in its software
The open-source office suite saw record downloads after publicly declaring it will not add AI features, a move that appears to resonate with users weary of chatbot integration.
LibreOffice just posted its best download numbers ever, and the trigger wasn't a new feature—it was the absence of one. The open-source office suite's developers publicly declared the software has no AI features and no plans to add any, and users responded by grabbing the latest version in record numbers. The project's Italian blog first reported the milestone, and the news quickly spread across Hacker News, where it drew hundreds of comments and a strong upvote count.
The spike follows months of AI feature rollouts across major productivity tools, from Microsoft's Copilot to Google's Gemini in Workspace. LibreOffice's stance is a deliberate counterpoint: while commercial rivals push AI as a reason to upgrade or subscribe, the free and open-source suite is betting that a growing slice of users simply want software that does what they ask without telemetry, cloud dependency, or a chatbot in the toolbar.
Exact download figures weren't immediately available, but the project described the surge as a record for a single release window. The announcement itself was blunt, stating that LibreOffice 'does not include AI features' and that the project has 'no intention' of adding them. That plainspoken approach appears to have struck a chord with privacy-conscious users and those frustrated by AI features that feel bolted on rather than useful.
The decision isn't without trade-offs. LibreOffice's development model relies on volunteer contributors and donations, and it lacks the deep pockets of its commercial rivals. But the download spike suggests there's a real market for a major office suite that explicitly rejects the AI trend—at least for now. The project's maintainers have said they'll focus on classic productivity improvements, interoperability, and performance instead.
This isn't the first time LibreOffice has leaned into being the anti-corporate alternative, but it's the first time the project has made 'no AI' a headline feature. Whether that positioning can sustain momentum beyond a single release cycle is an open question. For now, the record downloads offer a clear signal: not every user wants an AI assistant in their spreadsheet.
What's worth watching is whether other open-source projects follow suit with similar 'no AI' messaging, and whether LibreOffice can convert this burst of interest into long-term contributors and donors. The project has faced funding challenges in recent years, and a sustained wave of goodwill could help. But in a tech world that often equates innovation with AI integration, LibreOffice's bet is that restraint itself can be a differentiator.