Ubuntu Linux Will Begin Landing AI Features Throughout the Next Year

ryandrake•about 3 hours ago

I don't get this focus on the technology that's driving the features, over the features themselves.

Maybe I'm just not the typical Linux user anymore, but as a user, when I think about what I want feature-wise from software, I think in terms of concrete features: I want X, Y, and Z new functionality. If the developer can "use AI" to power it, fine. If they use traditional algorithms to power it, also fine. If they use literal sorcery to power it, great, I don't care.

At no point in my life have I ever said "I want technology ABC to power features, but I don't really have in mind what those features might be."

dpoloncsak•about 1 hour ago

I actually think it's the opposite. The impression I get from the 'average Linux user' is that they want more control over and insight to what their system/programs are doing, whereas AI tends to provide less. I appreciate open-source code because you can see how it works, instead of black-box 'sorcery'

I understand the benefits of abstracting some of these features away for casual users...but even Ubuntu, arguably one of the most 'casual' flavors of Linux, is still geared more towards a 'power user' than your average Joe

throwa356262•about 4 hours ago

If they can improve the driver situation and make those copilot+ NPU better supported under Linux I am all for it.

But if AI is going to be the new snap, I think more people will switch to Debian despite their ancient kernel and applications.

doubled112•about 4 hours ago

> ancient kernel and applications

This isn't as big a problem these days. Most people run the latest LTS of Ubuntu. Until a week ago, Ubuntu LTS was OLDER (in kernel and in software) than the latest Debian release.

In between, Ubuntu has the HWE kernels and Debian usually backports them.

throwa356262•about 3 hours ago

Fair point, but right now latest Ubuntu is on 7.x while latest debian is on 6.19.

Latest AMD ryzen for example works much better on 7.1

doubled112•about 3 hours ago

7.0.1 has been in Debian experimental for a few days now. Shouldn't be much longer.

mixmastamyk•about 3 hours ago

Do you need to use testing to get the updated packages?

anthk•about 2 hours ago

Backports maybe.

anygivnthursday•about 6 hours ago

Also in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47919835 with the original announcement

goldenarm•about 6 hours ago

Has anyone ever seen a person using "context-aware OS" features like Microsoft Recall ?

threecheese•about 2 hours ago

There was an early product named Rewind.ai (they have pivoted to Limitless Pin) which did essentially the same, I used it frequently - it essentially browser history but for everything you do on your computer, and you’ll get just about the same value as that.

npodbielski•about 2 hours ago

I barely see people using computers at all.

But it is because I barely see people.

rf15•about 2 hours ago

well, I guess I left Ubuntu just in time for the inevitable AI enshittification.

I stayed even as Unity and Gnome 3 made the rounds (which I was also unhappy about), but changed a month ago to a European Linux and Desktop Environment.

ss_talha•44 minutes ago

Well lets just hope this AI is not a burden on us.

lunar_rover•about 5 hours ago

Hopefully they're bringing existing ML features from other systems to Linux.

red-iron-pine•about 4 hours ago

and what would those features be, exactly?

and why couldn't i just 'apt install' them in myself, if/when i wanted them?

anthk•about 6 hours ago

Good. Let the slopwares collapse into themselves, from GNU/Linux, to Hurd (sadly) and Ubuntu. Trisquel will be damned, but Hyperbola BSD -after Hyperbola GNU- will be like the Phoenix bird.

https://arxiv.org/html/2601.05280v2

Ubuntu Linux Will Begin Landing AI Features Throughout the Next Year

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