Librarian publishes guide to disabling intrusive AI across major platforms
A comprehensive how-to document helps users turn off unwanted AI features in Adobe, Google, Apple, Amazon, and browsers.
What to know
- A librarian has published step-by-step instructions for disabling AI across major platforms—Adobe, Apple, Google, Amazon, and browsers—at NoToAI.org.
- Users report a critical frustration: disabling AI often leaves devices unable to perform basic functions like map navigation or music search because developers have not built fallbacks.
- The conversation splits between those who view forced AI integration as absurd corporate overreach and those who defend it as necessary for safety (e.g., CarPlay relying on voice to prevent distracted driving).
- Some commenters distinguish between liking AI tools and hating forced deployment, while others say the problem is severe enough to abandon entire platforms.
The dispute Whether AI dependencies in systems like Apple CarPlay are necessary design choices for safety or unnecessary corporate imposition that could be solved with traditional fallback controls. · positions read across 24 posts and comments
Forced AI integration is an absurd corporate overreach that breaks basic device functions when disabled.
-
“I expect we're going to see a lot of this where when you disable the AI functionality the devs won't have put in fallback states and you'll be effectively locked out.”
dinkleberg · Hacker News
Users should be free to use or avoid AI on their own terms, not have it forced into workflows.
-
“I love AI but I seriously hate the way these corporations keep forcing it into literally everything. I want to use AI on my own terms.”
matheusmoreira · Hacker News
Some AI dependencies are justified for safety or usability reasons, such as voice control in CarPlay while driving.
-
“Apple considers siri essential for CarPlay and I don't really disagree. Don't forget that a big part of the design of CarPlay tries to explicitly discourage tactile use while driving, with siri as the alternative input/output method.”
semiquaver · Hacker News
“Switch to linux, that's what I did. Literally. The endless waves of companies forcing LLMs down our throats and into our workflows drove me off the mac.”
kennywinker, HN commenter · Hacker News
Jessamyn Librarian, guide author
The record 1 articles and posts · last 30 days
What people are saying 24 voices from 1 site · verbatim
- Why don't developers provide non-AI fallback states for basic device functions?
- Are there legitimate cases where AI should be mandatory, and how do you distinguish them from pure corporate mandate?
- Aug 18
-
You know what the solution is, don't you? You need to stop using your phone for things. At least as much as you can. Apple or Google are going to build the device that makes sense for them. If you get comfortable, or find a workaround, they will change things in the future -- in their favor, and against your interests.You have other options right…
-
Zoom might just be the only app in which AI actually has added value for me. For almost everything else, universally, it is an unwanted bloat at best.
-
This reminds me of the ole days of cleaning up preinstalled Windows of bloatware. Some clean Linux distro on desktop is the only path open to human-first tech.
-
> go to System Settings – Apple Intelligence & Siri. Select About Siri, Dictation & Privacy… near the end of the page, turn off apps you don’t want Siri to learn fromThis is very user unfriendly.
- Aug 17
-
This got me mad too. And also restrictiveness of it - i can't see messages - WTH seriously? Why some tech stuff decides what is "safe"? (i guess it was the main driver)
-
The article missed a few obvious ones:LibreWolf and Waterfox rip out the AI features with prejudice. I don't know anyone who uses Zen or Helium (and haven't heard of the latter).If you have an iPhone 14 or older, you're safe from any AI features and have legacy Siri.LibreOffice instead of OfficeLinux instead of Windows (and I will not be…
-
Oh! The joy of driving a 2010 car with 60,000 miles on it knowing it's more likely than not I've never have to experience CarPlay/Siri/etc.
-
Yes, the "okay if you want to disable AI, we're going to remove non-AI features" paradigm that Gmail is also doing.
-
I'm not excited for iOS 27. I tried out the beta and decided to reset my phone to get my back to iOS 26. I find the new Siri is far worse and slower to respond, if that's even possible. It also adds new features that are hard to remove. I only use it for timers and playing music and the current Siri is just fine for that imo.
-
Spotify on CarPlay is absolutely miserable because of this.No search, no album or artist pages, only “ask Siri”. I’m not even mad that there’s no keyboard, I will happily use voice dictation instead. Instead, what you get is essentially an “I’m feeling lucky” button that fails unless you want to listen to a specific playlist.
-
Switch to linux, that's what I did.Literally. The endless waves of companies forcing LLMs down our throats and into our workflows drove me off the mac. And windows is worse, which leaves linux.
-
Hello -- this is mine! There's a short URL: https://NoToAI.org If people have suggestions I'll add them.
-
Much needed list. On the browser front, I recommend giving a try to alternatives like Zen or Helium, which are Firefox and Chromium based respectively.For AI buttons that specifically bug you, content blockers like uBlock Origin are especially helpful to zap them out of the page.
-
I had a similar experience when I tried to search through reviews on amazon on the mobile website.The search box is gone and you're supposed to ask Rufus now.
-
Thanks for this. I love AI but I seriously hate the way these corporations keep forcing it into literally everything. I want to use AI on my own terms.
-
Is this maybe dependent on country? I have used carplay, and don't have siri enabled.
-
Hah, the app to view the file format that simulates paper documents has AI now... (PDF/Adobe Reader).
-
Recently bothered by the Amazon Alexa for Shopping thing that slides out constantly and can’t be turned off, I found this Chrome extension.
-
On Mac, you can use https://wairy.app (full disclosure, I made this) to check what you have given AI perms to do on your computer (knowingly or not), then revoke them.
-
Apple considers siri essential for CarPlay and I don’t really disagree. Don’t forget that a big part of the design of CarPlay tries to explicitly discourage tactile use while driving, with siri as the alternative input/output method.
-
I was very upset about this. I had a rental car and I needed to enter on the map where I wanted to go. Even with a damn keyboard it wanted Siri. It’s just gps and i had to dig my phone out and do the typing there instead.
-
I recently discovered that you need to have Siri enabled for Apple CarPlay. I expect we're going to see a lot of this where when you disable the AI functionality the devs won't have put in fallback states and you'll be effectively locked out. With CarPlay for instance there is no reason that I shouldn't be able to listen to my music or use the map…
-
Anyone know a good way to disable the ai summary on Google results? I know I should move over to kagi, but a ublock filter or something would still be nice.
-
Such a cool guide to such a bizarre problem we live in…Companies forcing features that nobody wants, but that are also expensive to operate and cost real money to run? Market can definitely stay irrational for long.