How to disable or avoid intrusive AI
This article provides a practical guide for users who wish to disable or minimize the presence of AI features in their software and devices. It covers specific instructions for disabling AI integrations in products like Adobe Acrobat, Google Gemini, and Apple Intelligence.
Why it matters
As AI becomes ubiquitous in consumer software, users are increasingly seeking agency over their digital environments and privacy settings.
One of the biggest questions I get at Drop-In Time at the library (besides “what is taking up all my cloud storage?”) is how to disable or avoid intrusive AI that shows up where people don’t want it. This is a guide for people who would like less intrusive AI in their tech environment. Maybe you like AI and find it useful? That’s fine, this document is probably not for you. Additions/edits welcome. Leave a comment or drop me an email. This page is available at the short URL https://NoToAI.org
Uncheck the checkbox on the page, click Save .
Choose Disable new Acrobat Reader from the top menu (upper left), approve the dialog box and restart.
Depending on your phone’s manufacturer, you may be able to uninstall the Gemini app entirely. If not, there are some application-specific ways you can turn off some of its features
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