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

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Chris brought this to my attention - I haven't followed MR or Calibre development in awhile, other than to update the program. But I must say I am also not happy at all with AI integration into Calibre, even if it's opt-in and not on by default. Since I'm not moving thousands of ebooks to another program, I'm gonna have to deal with it, I suppose, but I do sort of feel like it's being shoved down my throat. Not up for debate, I feel how I feel, and don't expect Kovid to see this, or care if he does. Just going on record with my disappointment.

You don't get to decide what's up for debate. You only get to decide if you're going to participate in said debate or not.

There is literally NOTHING for you to deal with if you choose not to configure and enable any of Calibre's AI abilities. NOTHING is being shoved down your throat. You can continue to use Calibre exactly the way you are with absolutely no AI stuff to contend with. Your disappointment is being wasted.

[Dal Bhat]

https://download.calibre-ebook.com/

There's the link to previous versions. Pick one that predates what you don't like and install that one.

Then you don't have to come back and gripe about what doesn't affect you anyway.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Dal Bhat

https://download.calibre-ebook.com/

There's the link to previous versions. Pick one that predates what you don't like and install that one.

Then you don't have to come back and gripe about what doesn't affect you anyway.

And you also don't get to gripe when plugin or updates become incompatible with external sites or new formats
Take your pick: Backdate to eliminate a feature optional SETTING or keeping up with all the site changes when your OS can run the latest version.

[JSWolf]

I wasn't happy to have AI in calibre. But when it was first said that it was optional and the code doesn't run when you don't enable it, I let it go.

It's not worth fighting a battle you can never win. Ai is not going away. But it's optional and when you don't opt in, it doesn't run.

[Dal Bhat]

Until it becomes sentient.

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by Dal Bhat

Until it becomes sentient.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

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?

Thanks for this explanation. I loathe and avoid AI to the extent humanly possible, so it's reassuring to know that my Calibre installation is AI-free until I decide to make it otherwise

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

Thanks for this explanation. I loathe and avoid AI to the extent humanly possible, so it's reassuring to know that my Calibre installation is AI-free until I decide to make it otherwise

Calibre has always been FREE.
If AI wants to be paid for you to use Calibre, then it is fraud.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by theducks

Calibre has always been FREE.
If AI wants to be paid for you to use Calibre, then it is fraud.

By "AI-free" I meant, of course "free (devoid) of AI" not "free in the "at no cost" sense. I've never paid for Calibre, occasional donations notwithstanding

[Quoth]

It's annoying that:
1: The AI plugins are enabled by default
2: You can't uninstall them
3: There are more than the start.

At least they can be disabled.

Still it's extremely disappointing as the LLMs are all built on "stolen" books and content scraped without consent for humans. They are destroying the environment, more than doubling the price of RAM, often produce plausible rubbish and can never be profitable, so the LLM/Gernerative/Agentic AI industry/products are doomed and a scam.

It's a bad look for Calibre to be encouraging these copyright violating tools used to create "slop" books & other material hurting sales of human creatives.

People wanting the AI tools for (dodgy) summaries etc can easily use them separately.

I've 9.x on one laptop and stopped at 8.14 on all the other computers. I won't donate again till at least the modules are not built in and only optional plugins.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Quoth

It's annoying that:
1: The AI plugins are enabled by default
2: You can't uninstall them
3: There are more than the start.

1: ALL built-in plugins are "enabled" by default. But that's irrelevant since these ones can't possibly work without knowledgeable, intentional, specific configuration by the user. They are enabled for use, but impossible to use by default.

2: You can't uninstall ANY built-in plugins

3: I'm not understanding what you mean, here.

Originally Posted by Quoth

Still it's extremely disappointing as the LLMs are all built on "stolen" books and content scraped without consent for humans. They are destroying the environment, more than doubling the price of RAM, often produce plausible rubbish and can never be profitable, so the LLM/Gernerative/Agentic AI industry/products are doomed and a scam.

It's a bad look for Calibre to be encouraging these copyright violating tools used to create "slop" books & other material hurting sales of human creatives.

These are only esoteric opinions and not really valid reasons to "ask" for code changes.

Originally Posted by Quoth

I've 9.x on one laptop and stopped at 8.14 on all the other computers. I won't donate again till at least the modules are not built in and only optional plugins.

This is the first thing you've said that's "reasonable." And it's realistically the only choices left to those unreasonably opposed to all things AI: stop at pre-AI calibre versions and/or stop donating to calibre. You should have just lead with that and stopped. Proselytizing is pointless in the tech world.

[Mr_H_Poirot]

I find AI incredibly useful. Indeed, I have asked fewer questions on here because I have found AI often answers what I need to know on how to do things in calibre. Even really quite tricky things. And does so instantaneously. That isn't to say assistance on forums isn't helpful and valued. But AI has its uses

However, not wishing to use AI, or software which involves AI, is perfectly reasonable. Not wishing to donate to that developer any more is totally fine. Your money, your choice

Asking a developer who provides his software for free to change his code because you don't like AI seems to be imposing principles on a developer that are unreasonable. His software. His choice

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

1: ALL built-in plugins are "enabled" by default. But that's irrelevant since these ones can't possibly work without knowledgeable, intentional, specific configuration by the user. They are enabled for use, but impossible to use by default.

2: You can't uninstall ANY built-in plugins

3: I'm not understanding what you mean, here.



These are only esoteric opinions and not really valid reasons to "ask" for code changes.


This is the first thing you've said that's "reasonable." And it's realistically the only choices left to those unreasonably opposed to all things AI: stop at pre-AI calibre versions and/or stop donating to calibre. You should have just lead with that and stopped. Proselytizing is pointless in the tech world.

As usual you sound like a shill for the so called AI industry (There are real AI applications, but LLM is scam).

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Quoth

As usual you sound like a shill for the so called AI industry (There are real AI applications, but LLM is scam).

As usual, you sound like preacher who's thumping your pulpit at all of the sinners.

You also seem to have a nasty case of amnesia. I've told you countless times that I personally have no real use for AI (or LLMs). I'm just not interested in convincing anyone to take "my side" on the subject. Nor am I interested in being presumptuous enough to ask others to change their code to comply with my personal non-coding-related hang-ups.