How do I disable the "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Host [etc]" feature?

Anonymous
2023-02-09T16:34:50+00:00

We have started getting complaints from our customers over this "feature" as it appears to be quite the resource hog, and of course they are blaming our add-ins.

Killing the ai.exe process appears to have no ill effect on the usability of Office programs such as Word, Outlook or Excel.

So I need to know how we can disable it. I'd prefer to give an instruction to our users on how they can switch off a feature they do not want, they feel they do not need, and that causes their old PCs to start sounding like a Harrier Jet taking off.

Thank you

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | Other | Other

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Anonymous
2024-02-07T21:10:13+00:00

This seems to work. There are all sorts of solutions put out there that involve things like editing the Registry. Here's a much easier fix that seems to have worked for me (and this is from The Geek Page https://thegeekpage.com/how-to-disable-the-artificial-intelligence-ai-host-feature/).

First, the obvious: delete the AI executables from the OFFICE folder:
ai.exe

ai.exe
aitrx.dll

Second - this is incredibly easy. Deleting the executables does not completely work because Office automatically updates itself with new copies of those files.

Since the AI Host runs when you use an Office app:
Disable the Office app updates.

To do this, open any Office application, like Word.

– Click the “File” menu and then the “Account” menu item - this may be under the "More..." menu item, in which case click "More..." and then click "Account"

– There, click on “Update Options”, which brings up a popup menu - on the popup menu, set that to “Disable Updates” to disable Office updates for all Office apps

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T17:19:58+00:00

    When you create the rukes.... make sure to check the 'Disallow' button for each. You may need to right click on "Software Restriction Policeis/Additional Rules to get the Add Path Rules choice.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T17:17:31+00:00

    I'll see I can paste the pic of the path in Group Policy you want to take. You start with "Computer Configuration". This works on stand alone machines as well as AD Domain servers.

    Image

    This shows (2) path rules.... you want all (4) - the (4) will make sure you cover both 32bit and 64bit versions of Office installs. Here they are:

    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesCommonX64\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16\ai.exe

    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesCommonX86\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16\ai.exe

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesCommonX64\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16\ai.exe

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesCommonX86\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16\ai.exe

    When you create the rules.... make sure to check the 'Disallow' button for each. You may need to right click on "Software Restriction Policeis/Additional Rules to get the Add Path Rules choice.

    This does not block Bing being forced as your search option.... as it says "Bing" also at the top - thats another process.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T16:18:46+00:00

    Hey alpenit,
    I'm glad it's not just me, I write software and as it matures it gets more and more stable, MS seem to take the opposite approach.
    W11 is an abomination, it's a resource hog and just simple things like the mess of the context menus is just astonishing.
    It's obvious that so many developers at these big corps don't actually use the products they work on, because if they did they won't be so shoddy!
    I shall take a look through the posts and look at the GPO option.
    Cheers! :)

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-08-24T16:04:29+00:00

    Paul,

    You sound a lot like me, I had to find it amusing, not may people seem to have noticed... about the how buggy Office and Windows is.... I find Windows 11 is buggy as hell.... Office is gettng worse... (they keep "making it better"). Just want to mention if you haven't found these yet. Myself and two other's each had worked on how to disable it, block it, or kill it and delete it. There is a script... I proposed as a batch file using taskill, then we found we could deny it in group policy, but it seems only in Windows Pro versions... Home you can enable GPEDIT, but it doesn't seems to work withthe GPO in Home version... a 2nd guy found you block with your anti-virus program perhaps... All 3 seem effective... I like the GPO approach the best... if you jujst delete it - it comes back next time you update Windows or Office... I only see it running with Office apps open. I think its on page 2 of this forum that I start posting... look for my posts and you see where I post the taskill solution first... later its the GPO.. also read what the other tech who worked with me in these posts - what he says.

    Let mw know if you can't find or are unsure of what you find.

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