For years, Andre Garzia wore Mozilla's "Internet by the people for the people" t-shirts with pride. As a former Mozilla Reps member, TechSpeaker, and Foundation contractor, Garzia embodied the organization's once-vibrant volunteer culture. In a recent blog post, he delivers a poignant critique: Mozilla has abandoned its human-first ethos in favor of chasing generative AI trends alongside Silicon Valley's "shoal" of tech giants.

Article illustration 1

Garzia acknowledges Mozilla's operational challenges—limited budgets, competitive executive salaries, fundraising difficulties—and dismisses conspiracy theories about Google's influence. His central concern is cultural: "Mozilla used to have a vibrant contributor community... It put people first." Initiatives like Teach The Web and App Days fostered genuine human connections and participation. Today, he observes, volunteer engagement has dwindled to a "shadow" of its former self, weakening Mozilla's bond with its userbase.

The essay harshly critiques the tech industry's rush toward generative AI, describing it as predatory and alienating. Garzia recounts losing hours to an AI-generated programming course that hallucinated non-existent software features—a symptom of what he calls the "enshitification of the Internet." Against this backdrop, he argues Mozilla squandered a unique opportunity: "It was in a unique position to take a stand against this AI centric Web and go back to putting humans front and centre."

Garzia's proposed alternative is a return to Mozilla's roots:
- Reviving community-driven user groups
- Championing RSS and feed readers to counter algorithmic timelines
- Deepening Firefox's integration with decentralized protocols
- Developing tools for accessible blogging and human-centric content discovery

"I want a Mozilla that champions the small web," he writes, envisioning a browser that helps users "side-step the enshitification of the Web" rather than serving as a "Silicon Valley serf." His conclusion is a direct appeal: "I don't want Mozilla AI... I want a Mozilla Labs pushing the boundaries of the IndieWeb."

Source: The Mozilla I want focus on people and not AI by Andre Garzia