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.
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RE: https://mastodonapp.uk/@taoish/116884161402249680
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. I'm going to make a handout that explains how to do some of the basic AI-removal or AI-avoidance things.
Would appreciate links which give simple steps to do this for the most-used (Siri, Alexa, Gemini, Copilot, Firefox's AI nonsense &c.) so I can collate and synthesize. Thanks!
@jessamyn one suggestion is not to use Chrome, which is just loaded with "AI" sea lions. But the thing is just everywhere; I don't think that's a realistic suggestion unfortunately.
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DuckDuckGo search engine offers AI summaries by default 🤬 , but if you set up a custom search engine in your browser https://noai.duckduckgo.com?q=%s it won't use AI at all.
The Vivaldi web browser doesn't use AI, though I think the default search engine is Google.
Good luck.
@firebreathingduck @jessamyn I installed Vivaldi on my Win11 machine at work just yesterday. Happy to report the default SE was StartPage.
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RE: https://mastodonapp.uk/@taoish/116884161402249680
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. I'm going to make a handout that explains how to do some of the basic AI-removal or AI-avoidance things.
Would appreciate links which give simple steps to do this for the most-used (Siri, Alexa, Gemini, Copilot, Firefox's AI nonsense &c.) so I can collate and synthesize. Thanks!
I have consolidated many of these suggestions into a document with a few other links. Anything major that I am missing? This is mostly for the types of users I interact with (mainly older adults) so I did not include things like Slack and I'm not sure about things I don't use much like Outlook or Facebook. Other suggestions for links about removing AI geared towards not-very-technical people?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYLmQLYZy_Mg-Dh6iME6R61Jjh4L6sRrw1v2dLXs9aE/edit?usp=sharing
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I have consolidated many of these suggestions into a document with a few other links. Anything major that I am missing? This is mostly for the types of users I interact with (mainly older adults) so I did not include things like Slack and I'm not sure about things I don't use much like Outlook or Facebook. Other suggestions for links about removing AI geared towards not-very-technical people?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYLmQLYZy_Mg-Dh6iME6R61Jjh4L6sRrw1v2dLXs9aE/edit?usp=sharing
@jessamyn https://tenbluelinks.org/ if they'd like to still use google search
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I have consolidated many of these suggestions into a document with a few other links. Anything major that I am missing? This is mostly for the types of users I interact with (mainly older adults) so I did not include things like Slack and I'm not sure about things I don't use much like Outlook or Facebook. Other suggestions for links about removing AI geared towards not-very-technical people?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYLmQLYZy_Mg-Dh6iME6R61Jjh4L6sRrw1v2dLXs9aE/edit?usp=sharing
@jessamyn this just popped on my timeline, so thank you for taking the time to put this together
Does DuckDuckGo's no-ai page merit a mention? https://noai.duckduckgo.com/ -
@jessamyn this just popped on my timeline, so thank you for taking the time to put this together
Does DuckDuckGo's no-ai page merit a mention? https://noai.duckduckgo.com/@Palleas Yes it does, thank you!
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I have consolidated many of these suggestions into a document with a few other links. Anything major that I am missing? This is mostly for the types of users I interact with (mainly older adults) so I did not include things like Slack and I'm not sure about things I don't use much like Outlook or Facebook. Other suggestions for links about removing AI geared towards not-very-technical people?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYLmQLYZy_Mg-Dh6iME6R61Jjh4L6sRrw1v2dLXs9aE/edit?usp=sharing
@jessamyn
MS Edge?Last time Ars updated, you had to turn off both Copilot, and the then-revealed sidebar button, in order to get the Edge main menu button to appear in the corner, like it should do.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/11/what-i-do-to-clean-up-a-clean-install-of-windows-11-23h2-and-edge/I don't remember having to turn off the sidebar last week though, only Copilot.
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I have consolidated many of these suggestions into a document with a few other links. Anything major that I am missing? This is mostly for the types of users I interact with (mainly older adults) so I did not include things like Slack and I'm not sure about things I don't use much like Outlook or Facebook. Other suggestions for links about removing AI geared towards not-very-technical people?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYLmQLYZy_Mg-Dh6iME6R61Jjh4L6sRrw1v2dLXs9aE/edit?usp=sharing
@jessamyn
I can’t help but sense irony in your using Google docs for distribution… -
@Palleas Yes it does, thank you!
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@jessamyn
I can’t help but sense irony in your using Google docs for distribution…@cynblogger @jessamyn pastebin?
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I have consolidated many of these suggestions into a document with a few other links. Anything major that I am missing? This is mostly for the types of users I interact with (mainly older adults) so I did not include things like Slack and I'm not sure about things I don't use much like Outlook or Facebook. Other suggestions for links about removing AI geared towards not-very-technical people?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYLmQLYZy_Mg-Dh6iME6R61Jjh4L6sRrw1v2dLXs9aE/edit?usp=sharing
@jessamyn Firefox finally has their AI crud behind a single off switch now, that should get a mention.
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I have consolidated many of these suggestions into a document with a few other links. Anything major that I am missing? This is mostly for the types of users I interact with (mainly older adults) so I did not include things like Slack and I'm not sure about things I don't use much like Outlook or Facebook. Other suggestions for links about removing AI geared towards not-very-technical people?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYLmQLYZy_Mg-Dh6iME6R61Jjh4L6sRrw1v2dLXs9aE/edit?usp=sharing
@jessamyn The irony of using a Google doc, a service loaded with AI, to list how to remove AI is in many ways genius - it's teaching AI the answer when folk ask how to strip it away
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@jessamyn one suggestion is not to use Chrome, which is just loaded with "AI" sea lions. But the thing is just everywhere; I don't think that's a realistic suggestion unfortunately.
@ravenonthill @jessamyn You use Android phone then there is no escape. Whatever you do.
If it's root-able get Graphene or another OS if not just take it in as you can not avoid it at all with all your tricks etc.
On PC I'm lucky I use an old Intell OSX, as for Windows users... -
I have consolidated many of these suggestions into a document with a few other links. Anything major that I am missing? This is mostly for the types of users I interact with (mainly older adults) so I did not include things like Slack and I'm not sure about things I don't use much like Outlook or Facebook. Other suggestions for links about removing AI geared towards not-very-technical people?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYLmQLYZy_Mg-Dh6iME6R61Jjh4L6sRrw1v2dLXs9aE/edit?usp=sharing
Thank you for this!
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RE: https://mastodonapp.uk/@taoish/116884161402249680
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. I'm going to make a handout that explains how to do some of the basic AI-removal or AI-avoidance things.
Would appreciate links which give simple steps to do this for the most-used (Siri, Alexa, Gemini, Copilot, Firefox's AI nonsense &c.) so I can collate and synthesize. Thanks!
@jessamyn BTW, Mastodon shows "Post unavailable" - just in case something was supposed to be quoted here.
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I have consolidated many of these suggestions into a document with a few other links. Anything major that I am missing? This is mostly for the types of users I interact with (mainly older adults) so I did not include things like Slack and I'm not sure about things I don't use much like Outlook or Facebook. Other suggestions for links about removing AI geared towards not-very-technical people?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nYLmQLYZy_Mg-Dh6iME6R61Jjh4L6sRrw1v2dLXs9aE/edit?usp=sharing
@jessamyn this is a tangent if you'll forgive, but: would it be useful to have a short link service solely dedicated to instructional content? Like (fake dream URL as example) how.to/remove-ai
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@jessamyn this is a tangent if you'll forgive, but: would it be useful to have a short link service solely dedicated to instructional content? Like (fake dream URL as example) how.to/remove-ai
@murtaugh I love that as an idea.
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@jessamyn BTW, Mastodon shows "Post unavailable" - just in case something was supposed to be quoted here.
@richlv Yeah that's a weird Mastodon propagation thing I think. The post I quote-posted is publicly available bet maybe there's some "no quote posting" setting he has on. If you can follow this link that's the original thing.
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@jessamyn The irony of using a Google doc, a service loaded with AI, to list how to remove AI is in many ways genius - it's teaching AI the answer when folk ask how to strip it away
@antony Google is loaded with AI, much of which is turn-offable and mine is all turned off. It does allow for good collaboration. Once this doc feels more "final form-ish" I will self host somewhere with no AI. The irony is not lost on me, but realistically people are using what they use, they just want the AI in it to be less-intrusive.
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@jessamyn Firefox finally has their AI crud behind a single off switch now, that should get a mention.
@enno Yep, it's in there.
