Canonical's approach to AI is refreshingly thoughtful - Microsoft should take note

Innovation Home Innovation Artificial Intelligence Canonical's approach to AI is refreshingly thoughtful - Microsoft should take note With Ubuntu Linux 26.04, you decide how you want to use AI. What a novel idea. Written by Steven Vaughan-Nichols, Senior Contributing EditorSenior Contributing Editor April 28, 2026 at 7:35 a.m. PT Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET's key takeawaysCanonical lets you pick and choose how you'll use AI.In Ubuntu, AI is built into key features and optional AI tools.While Microsoft is about control, Canonical puts you in charge.In a new blog post, Jon Seager, Canonical's VP of engineering for Ubuntu, explained how the company is baking AI into its Linux desktop and server experience in Ubuntu Linux 26.04 and beyond. Unlike Windows, where Microsoft is slapping its Copilot label on everything, Canonical cooks AI into its Linux distro on open terms: open models where possible, local inference by default, and no rebranding of the distro into an AI product.Seager explained that Canonical is "ramping up its use of AI tools in a focused and principled manner." That approach means a clear preference for open‑weight models whose license terms align with Ubuntu's long‑standing open‑source values, coupled with open‑source harnesses and tooling. The Canonical developer teams are encouraged to adopt the tools that make sense for them, as long as they choose a single tool consistently at the team level.Also: Built for a hostile internet: Canonical VP of Engineering on Ubuntu 26.04 LTSHe stressed that Ubuntu is not being repositioned as an AI product, but that "thoughtful AI integration" will make the operating system more capable and efficient for people who already rely on it. Internally, Canonical plans to educate its engineers on where AI genuinely adds value, and to avoid crude metrics like "how much AI did you use," focusing instead on quality, control, and reviewability of AI‑assisted work.Implicit vs. explicit AIA core part of Ubuntu's framework is the distinction between "implicit" and "explicit" AI features. Implicit AI features will run largely in the background, enhancing Linux's existing capabilities. This is the kind of improvement you'll experience as "the system just works better" rather than as a new AI product. For example, Ubuntu 26.04 boasts first‑class speech‑to‑text and text‑to‑speech, better screen reading, and other accessibility improvements powered by local models.Also: The new rules for AI-assisted code in the Linux kernel: What devs need to knowExplicit AI features, by contrast, will arrive as new, opt‑in capabilities that clearly present themselves as AI‑driven. These features could include generative text tools in productivity workflows, agentic helpers for tasks such as file or project management, and dedicated interfaces for interacting directly with models. Seager describes this approach as phased: first, quietly improving what Ubuntu already does, then layering on "AI‑native" workflows for users who actively want them. Don't want these AI-enabled programs? Fine. You don't have to use them. Good luck trying that with Windows 11. Ubuntu is all about running AI locally. Canonical wants most Ubuntu AI features to default to on‑device inference. This approach makes these features usable offline, potentially more private, and less dependent on proprietary cloud backends. It will also make them much cheaper to use. Also: Linux explores new way of…

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