Mozilla, the developer of the Firefox Internet browser, has introduced a new startup called Mozilla.ai, which the company hopes "will build a trustworthy and independent open-source AI ecosystem".

The company said that it is initially investing $30 million to build this new startup.

"The vision for Mozilla.ai is to make it easy to develop trustworthy AI products. We will build things and hire/collaborate with people that share our vision: AI that has agency, accountability, transparency and openness at its core. Mozilla.ai will be a space outside big tech and academia for like-minded founders, developers, scientists, product managers and builders to gather," Mark Surman, the executive president of Mozilla and the head of Mozilla.ai, said in a blogpost.

Moreover, the company stated that this group of people, working collectively, can turn the tide to create an independent, decentralised and trustworthy AI ecosystem -- a real counterweight to the status quo.

The initial focus of the new startup Mozilla.ai will be the tools that make generative AI safer and more transparent and people-centric recommendation systems that don't misinform or undermine the company's well-being.

Later this year, the company mentioned that it will announce additional initiatives, partners, and events in which people can participate.

In December last year, Mozilla completed the acquisition of the US-based virtual spaces and events start-up Active Replica to bolster its metaverse strategy.

Mozilla purchased the startup as it builds out Hubs, the company's virtual reality (VR) collaboration platform.