Any chance of developing a non-AI branch of Calibre?

meghane_e · 06-12-2026, 07:17 PM

I know some people are perfectly happy to have AI hooks integrated into all of their software, but I am honestly very, very, VERY saddened (and upset) that Calibre is being diverted into this development. I understand that there are mechanisms to turn off AI. I have no interest in turning off AI. My interest is in absolutely zero intersection with AI hooks or capability.

Will there be any branches of Calibre that have NO AI hooks and capability built in? If not, which is the last version that was AI free? My last update was 9.7 before I realized that there was AI integration happening. My bad... It looks like it might have been version 8.11???

Thank you...

lightcap · 06-12-2026, 07:50 PM

Second this.

DNSB · 06-12-2026, 08:38 PM

Since you can disable AI integration easily enough, I doubt that you are going to get a new version of calibre with AI integration removed.

DiapDealer · 06-12-2026, 10:27 PM

As I understand it, Calibre's ai features must be manually configured in in order to be enabled. If you have no account for an online llm (or have not set up a local llm of your own) there is no need to disable anything. There is no ai integration without a configured llm. So it's opt-in only. Has that changed?

rowe · 06-13-2026, 01:43 AM

You are getting years of open-source development completely for free. Demanding a separate branch to spare your feelings about an opt-in button you are not required to click is a staggering level of entitlement.

p0lrb3ar · 06-13-2026, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowe

You are getting years of open-source development completely for free. Demanding a separate branch to spare your feelings about an opt-in button you are not required to click is a staggering level of entitlement.

Agreed!

Sirtel · 06-13-2026, 01:40 PM

Considering the way things have been going, a decade from now there will probably be very, very few programs without some kind of AI integration. That cat is out of the bag and there's no putting it back in, no matter how much some people might want it.

I'm not much for AI use myself, and yes, of course there are downsides, but time cannot be turned back like a clock. AI in some form or another is here to stay. Not necessarily in the form it exists now.

meghane_e · 06-13-2026, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowe

You are getting years of open-source development completely for free. Demanding a separate branch to spare your feelings about an opt-in button you are not required to click is a staggering level of entitlement.

I did not demand; I was asking the community about the direction of development, while expressing my heartbreak that AI hooks are being installed into the main software. Asking and Demanding are not the same things at all.

Additionally, I was asking if there was any intention for a certain branch of development. I did not "demand" that the main application be developed to my specifications. Insinuating that I "demanded" that is a very disappointing form of entitlement.

I have been using and contributing documentation to open source software for 30+ years. I'm quite aware and appreciative of the work that goes into that.

Thanks.

Sirtel · 06-13-2026, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meghane_e

I did not demand; I was asking the community about the direction of development, while expressing my heartbreak that AI hooks are being installed into the main software. Asking and Demanding are not the same things at all.

Additionally, I was asking if there was any intention for a certain branch of development. I did not "demand" that the main application be developed to my specifications. Insinuating that I "demanded" that is a very disappointing form of entitlement.

I have been using and contributing documentation to open source software for 30+ years. I'm quite aware and appreciative of the work that goes into that.

Thanks.

The AI discussion was already held here a while ago. The answer to an AI-free calibre was no. Some folks then announced they intended to develop their own branch, but AFAIK nothing came of that.

The AI topic was pretty much beaten to death in the previous thread.

DNSB · 06-13-2026, 03:50 PM

There were a couple of more forks of calibre created but after watching them for a while, nothing was done. A classic case of when all is said and done, a lot more was said than done.

You may want to read through the Turn off/Block AI features to catch up on the discussion from Dec-2025.

Dal Bhat · 06-13-2026, 04:27 PM

They aren't hooks until you try to hook something.

theducks · 06-13-2026, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dal Bhat

They aren't hooks until you try to hook something.

Right. Until I 'bait the hook' (enable the AI engine to use), I will not catch anything (my plan).

meghane_e · 06-13-2026, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

There were a couple of more forks of calibre created but after watching them for a while, nothing was done. A classic case of when all is said and done, a lot more was said than done.

You may want to read through the Turn off/Block AI features to catch up on the discussion from Dec-2025.

Thank you, this is helpful to know and investigate.

meghane_e · 06-13-2026, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The AI discussion was already held here a while ago. The answer to an AI-free calibre was no. Some folks then announced they intended to develop their own branch, but AFAIK nothing came of that.

The AI topic was pretty much beaten to death in the previous thread.

Would you mind pointing to the particular thread?
Thank you!
[Edit: searching "AI" turns up no results at all, and I haven't been following the forum for the last few months, obviously

]

Sirtel · 06-13-2026, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meghane_e

Would you mind pointing to the particular thread?
Thank you!
[Edit: searching "AI" turns up no results at all, and I haven't been following the forum for the last few months, obviously

]

DNSB already linked to it.

06-12-2026, 07:17 PM	#1
meghane_e Zealot Posts: 131 Karma: 38500 Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: San Jose, CA Device: Kindle moving to Kobo or Boox	Any chance of developing a non-AI branch of Calibre? I know some people are perfectly happy to have AI hooks integrated into all of their software, but I am honestly very, very, VERY saddened (and upset) that Calibre is being diverted into this development. I understand that there are mechanisms to turn off AI. I have no interest in turning off AI. My interest is in absolutely zero intersection with AI hooks or capability. Will there be any branches of Calibre that have NO AI hooks and capability built in? If not, which is the last version that was AI free? My last update was 9.7 before I realized that there was AI integration happening. My bad... It looks like it might have been version 8.11??? Thank you... Last edited by meghane_e; 06-12-2026 at 07:19 PM.

06-12-2026, 10:27 PM	#4
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 29,505 Karma: 212177546 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	As I understand it, Calibre's ai features must be manually configured in in order to be enabled. If you have no account for an online llm (or have not set up a local llm of your own) there is no need to disable anything. There is no ai integration without a configured llm. So it's opt-in only. Has that changed? Last edited by DiapDealer; 06-13-2026 at 01:22 PM.

06-13-2026, 01:43 AM	#5
rowe Addict Posts: 201 Karma: 5513632 Join Date: Jul 2019 Device: Viwoods Reader, Mira, Paperlike Colour	You are getting years of open-source development completely for free. Demanding a separate branch to spare your feelings about an opt-in button you are not required to click is a staggering level of entitlement. Last edited by rowe; 06-13-2026 at 03:53 AM.

06-13-2026, 03:50 PM	#10
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 52,430 Karma: 180944990 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	There were a couple of more forks of calibre created but after watching them for a while, nothing was done. A classic case of when all is said and done, a lot more was said than done. You may want to read through the Turn off/Block AI features to catch up on the discussion from Dec-2025. Last edited by DNSB; 06-13-2026 at 03:53 PM.

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06-12-2026, 07:50 PM	#2
lightcap Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia, PA Device: Cybook Opus,Nexus 7,Nook ST	Second this.

06-12-2026, 08:38 PM	#3
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 52,430 Karma: 180944990 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Since you can disable AI integration easily enough, I doubt that you are going to get a new version of calibre with AI integration removed.

06-13-2026, 01:40 PM	#7
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 15,258 Karma: 247605191 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Considering the way things have been going, a decade from now there will probably be very, very few programs without some kind of AI integration. That cat is out of the bag and there's no putting it back in, no matter how much some people might want it. I'm not much for AI use myself, and yes, of course there are downsides, but time cannot be turned back like a clock. AI in some form or another is here to stay. Not necessarily in the form it exists now.

06-13-2026, 04:27 PM	#11
Dal Bhat Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 1238568 Join Date: Apr 2024 Device: Kindle 11th Gen	They aren't hooks until you try to hook something.