Microsoft—like most major tech companies—is packing artificial intelligence into nearly every corner of its products. You’ll find it in Microsoft Edge, the Office suite, and even in simple apps like Notepad and Paint.

Figure 1. Tuning Out AI: Disabling Windows Features for a Calmer Workflow.

While it can feel inescapable, you’re not required to use these AI features. If you prefer not to have digital assistants popping up or would rather rely on your own skills for writing or editing, there are ways to disable or hide the AI integrations. Figure 1 shows Tuning Out AI: Disabling Windows Features for a Calmer Workflow.

Hide (or Uninstall) Copilot

These steps apply to a Copilot+ PC running Windows 11 Home. Depending on your device's age and Windows version, your options may vary slightly—but most settings should be similar across systems.

New Windows PCs now come with Copilot preinstalled. You might even have a dedicated Copilot key on your keyboard. Like Google Gemini or ChatGPT, Copilot is designed to assist with tasks like answering questions, generating ideas, and offering suggestions. But if you find it more distracting than helpful, you have the option to hide or disable it.

To simply hide Copilot, right-click its icon on the taskbar and select Unpin from taskbar. This will remove the shortcut from view.

For additional settings, open the Copilot app, click your Microsoft account icon in the bottom-left corner, then choose Settings. (If you don’t see your avatar, click the side panel button in the top-left corner to reveal it.)

Once you're on the Copilot Settings page, you’ll find a few useful toggles. To prevent Copilot from launching automatically when your PC starts, turn off Auto start on log in. You can also disable the Alt + Spacebar shortcut, which stops the AI assistant from opening accidentally via the keyboard.

If you'd rather take a more permanent route, you can uninstall Copilot like any other app. Open the main Settings panel, go to Apps > Installed apps, and scroll through the list until you find Copilot. Click the three-dot menu next to it and select Uninstall.

Disable AI Features in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge comes with several AI features built in by default. While switching to a different browser is one way to avoid them—though most browsers are also moving toward more AI integration—you can still use Edge with minimal AI involvement if you prefer.

To reduce AI in Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and choose Settings.
3. In the sidebar, go to Copilot and sidebar, then select Copilot.
4. Toggle off Show Copilot button on the toolbar to remove the icon from Edge’s interface.

Removing Other AI Features in Windows

AI is deeply embedded across Windows, often under the Copilot name—but not always. One notable feature is Windows Recall, which uses AI to track nearly everything you do on your PC, allowing you to search through past activity like a system-wide history log.

By default, Windows Recall is turned off on new Windows 11 PCs. However, if it’s been enabled, here’s how to check and disable it:

1. Open Settings.
2. Navigate to Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots.
3. Toggle the switch to turn off Recall, if it’s active.

A Note on Paint and Future AI Additions

Unfortunately, as of now, there’s no option in the Paint app’s settings to remove the Copilot button. Even if you uninstall the main Copilot app from Windows, the icon remains on the toolbar. Earlier versions of Paint did allow users to remove it, so this functionality may return in the future.

It’s clear that Microsoft—and the tech industry at large—will continue layering AI features across its software. While some users may welcome these tools, others may prefer a quieter, more self-reliant experience. Whatever changes come, it’s worth regularly checking system and app settings for options to disable or hide AI features.

Source: POPULAR SCIENCE

Cite this article:

Priyadharshini S (2025), How to Disable AI Features in Windows for a More Peaceful Experience, AnaTechMaz, pp.270