Canonical plans to add AI features to Ubuntu throughout the next year, with an opt-in preview in version 26.10, but will not include a global AI kill switch.

Canonical's VP of engineering Jon Seager announced that AI features—including accessibility tools like AI speech-to-text and text-to-speech, plus agentic AI features (AI that makes decisions to perform tasks like troubleshooting and automation)—will be introduced as a preview on a strictly opt-in basis in Ubuntu 26.10, with subsequent releases offering a setup wizard choice to enable or disable AI-native features.

All AI features will be delivered as Snaps (modular software packages) layered on top of the existing Ubuntu stack, meaning users can remove those Snaps or choose not to install them; however, Canonical will not offer a global AI kill switch to disable all AI features at once.

Some Ubuntu users have requested an AI kill switch or a way to disable upcoming features, with comparisons drawn to Microsoft's addition of AI features into Windows 11; others say they may switch to other Linux distributions like Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, or Zorin OS, which have not committed to adopting Canonical's AI features by default.