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
    2023-05-01T16:38:18+00:00

    Agreed on that point. My point too is, and I have not researched what "benefit" this implementation of so called "AI" has or offers, nor so I care, the fact that it just 1) That it just "showed up" unannounced, and is installed in such a way that there is no removing it in the conventional manner and 2) That it "is" a process where it suggests some independent purpose of a control or other functions, perhaps monitoring of who knows what that is foreign to my purposes in the use of the computer and violation of privacy. Like I have said, I am not interested in what MS will say about this new AI, I do not want them putting such a process on my computers... in the manner in which they are doing so - is very sneaky, and that alone, is all I need to remove it.

    As I go along on my customer computers, some I have installed my task and script file to remove it. Though I have not encountered any older machine yet that is obviously affected by it. I visited two i5 gen 3 Win10 machines yesterday that has it running and these machines were not running any better after I removed it... same with any other machine I have removed it from so far. Today I have a customers with Outlook issues on an older and brand new laptop. IF it is there - I will remove it and I know this thing runs with at least Outlook running.

    Not just a matter of principle... here. I find it insulting that they think they can just dump this on us without notice and without any announcement of why and what the benefits are... Do they think it would go unnoticed and we are all too dumb to notice or to find a way to remove it?

    Bad move MS.... pray you keep your monopoly...

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-05-05T14:31:18+00:00

    Do you know if anyone has tried deleting those files, re-creating them as TXT files, renaming them to the original file names there .. change the owner and restrict all other users from full control .. eg everyone gets execute ... but cannot delete them etc...

    Its the same kind of trick used years ago when spotify pissed off so many people with their unified app program that was hated (with good reason). 

    The idea is as above ... create a file or copy any other file and rename it to the DLL and two AI exe file names, and that was enough to stop the replacements (oh.. files already exist) and without ownership or right permissions... files couldn't be deleted ... and so those old versions stayed for quite some time..

    Just a thought ... if you try it and find it works, report back on it.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-05-05T16:11:33+00:00

    TreborG2,

    Your suggestion is a good one and I will give it a go on a system I am setting up now. The "thing" is... I have to check every once in a while to see that the solution I use is working still, meaning it would not surprise me if MS eventually changes something or adds something to thwart what is an easy removal at this time. It will take some time probably before MS realizes there may be many who are finding a way to remove it.

    How do we get MS to answer to this? Give us the answer and make it so we can remove it or "opt out"? Would we trust any answer MS might provide? In today's mistrust of corporations and the like? Or do we go anonymous and hope we hide well enough, and spread the word over social media to freak people out a little bit... Would they then seek you out to stop you.... to get the attention on this? I am sure there must be a place to ask the questions of MS, but will they respond... and again... trust it hard to find right now.

    I don't appreciate having to resort to finding a way to remove this intrusion without an avenue of communication, honest communication with the source. But for now it will have to do.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-05-20T03:27:24+00:00

    yes... please help... this is stupid and it's not even showing up in apps???

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