How to turn off AI features in Google, Copilot, and more

Key Takeaways

• Google lets you suppress AI Overviews by adding -ai to searches, and you can automate this with a custom search engine
• 52% of Americans say they're more concerned than excited about AI in daily life, per Pew Research
• Most major platforms now offer AI opt-outs, but they're buried in settings menus

Google, Microsoft, and Apple have spent the last 18 months cramming generative AI into every product they ship. Not everyone wants it. A growing number of users are hunting for the off switch, tired of AI-generated search answers, auto-summarization buttons, and unsolicited offers to rewrite their emails. The good news: most platforms now offer opt-outs. The bad news: finding them requires digging through settings menus that seem designed to discourage you.

Fast Company published a guide this week walking through the major platforms. The workarounds range from elegant to absurd, but they work.

How do you disable AI Overviews in Google Search?

Google's AI Overviews, the boxes that summarize search results before you see any links, can be suppressed with a simple trick. Add "-ai" to the end of any search query, and Google will skip the AI summary. It's clunky, but it works.

A better approach: set up a custom search engine that appends "-ai" automatically. In Chrome for desktop, navigate to Settings > Search Engines > Manage search engines and site search. Click the "Add" button next to "Site search." Name it something like "Google No AI" with a shortcut like "gnai." In the URL field, paste: https://www.google.com/search?q=%s$20-ai

Then click the three-dot menu next to your new entry and select "Make default." Every search from the address bar will now exclude AI Overviews. Firefox and other browsers support similar custom search setups.

Can you turn off Microsoft Copilot in Windows?

Microsoft has been aggressive about putting Copilot everywhere. Windows 11 added a Copilot button to the taskbar. Office apps push Copilot suggestions. Edge browser integrates Copilot in the sidebar. Each requires a separate opt-out.

For the taskbar button, right-click the taskbar and uncheck "Copilot." In Edge, go to Settings > Sidebar > Copilot and toggle it off. Office apps vary by version, but most let you hide Copilot through View settings or ribbon customization. None of these are discoverable without a search.

What about Apple Intelligence on iPhone?

Apple took a different approach by making Apple Intelligence opt-in during iOS 18.1's rollout. Users had to actively enable it. If you turned it on and changed your mind, go to Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri and toggle off the features you don't want. Writing Tools, notification summaries, and Genmoji can each be disabled independently.

Why are so many users looking to disable AI?

The pushback isn't just from technophobes. Pew Research found that 52% of Americans are more concerned than excited about AI in daily life. A KPMG survey put the number of consumers worried about AI misuse at 77%.

The complaints tend to cluster around a few themes. AI search answers sometimes hallucinate or cite unreliable sources. Summarization features strip context. Writing assistants produce generic prose that sounds like everyone else's AI-generated text. For many users, these features add friction rather than removing it.

Gary Marcus, an AI researcher and NYU professor emeritus, has been a vocal critic of the current integration strategy. He argues that AI is being integrated into every product whether people want it or not, and the opt-out burden falls entirely on users.

Alternative apps that skip AI entirely

If toggling settings feels like whack-a-mole, some users are switching to apps that never added AI in the first place. Search alternatives like DuckDuckGo and Kagi offer AI-free modes or don't include AI summaries at all. Note-taking apps like Obsidian focus on local-first storage without AI suggestions. Email clients like Fastmail lack the AI compose features now standard in Gmail and Outlook.

The trade-off is ecosystem lock-in. Google Search remains dominant for a reason. Microsoft Office is what most workplaces use. Opting out means either constant vigilance in settings menus or abandoning tools you've used for years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does adding -ai to Google searches work on mobile?

Yes, but you'll need to type it manually each time unless you use a browser that supports custom search engines, like Firefox for Android.

Will disabling AI features affect other functionality?

Generally no. AI features in most apps are additive. Turning them off returns the app to its pre-AI behavior without breaking core functionality.

Can employers force AI features on in work devices?

Yes. Many enterprise deployments of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace have admin controls that can enable or disable AI features organization-wide, overriding individual preferences.

Are there browser extensions that block AI features?

Several exist. Extensions like "Hide Google AI Overview" for Chrome remove AI summaries automatically. Check extension permissions carefully before installing.

Source: Fast Company / Jared Newman