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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer recommended by moderator
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

Was this answer helpful?

20+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

240 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2024-02-07T20:43:08+00:00

    I believe I have the solution, though I know you've heard that before.

    Removing execution permission on the ai executable files seems to do the trick. Which is to say, you need to add "Deny" for "Traverse/Execute" to the "Everyone" principal for ai.exe and aimgr.exe.

    This is kind of dangerous if you do it wrong, since blocking certain kinds of access to a file might make it impossible to do anything to the file forever including deleting it or changing permissions. So, you know, at your own risk, etc.

    I can't upload my screenshot but if you know how to modify advanced file permissions, you can probably figure this out.

    May this serve you well. I will not be monitoring this thread.

    Was this answer helpful?

    6 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2023-04-15T14:10:21+00:00

    I suspect what we are seeing may be part of something called "Microsoft 365 Copilot": https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2023/03/16/introducing-microsoft-365-copilot-your-copilot-for-work/

    at the end of this post it says:

    "We’re testing Copilot with a small group of customers to get feedback and improve our models as we scale, and we will expand to more soon."

    I wonder if we are all part of the "small group of customers" that they are testing it with, but if so, they didn't warn us. Maybe someone screwed up and pushed the changes out to a wider group than planned.

    I agree that something that intrusive, particularly if we are unofficial beta testers, needs to have an "off" switch.

    Was this answer helpful?

    6 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2023-04-13T02:01:20+00:00

    In another post which is referenced in this thread but has since been locked, someone said:

    >In other words, Office

    >desktop apps (like Word,

    >Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.)

    >now communicate with

    >another program ( ai.exe )

    >to perform most local AI.

    I want to know what is this communication? What is this "local AI" doing? What functions is it performing? How are we the users supposedly benefiting from it?

    Was this answer helpful?

    6 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2023-04-12T22:31:42+00:00

    The resulting issues you describe I have seen a lot of people mention as well. I open task manager and select "Details" to breakdown all the running process in alpha order. I only see AI.EXE when I have Outlook open. I have tried just opening Word or Excel and it isn't there. So its a curiosity as to "why" that is. Is it crucial I know? No. I just want it gone. I also do not have any load increase on the system. Its a fairly powerful system with lots of CPU and RAM and SSD. Big video card. And I have a number of computers running - this is the only one I use Office on at the present. I will be upgrading a more powerful box soon and move all to it as primary computer. We'll see if symptoms change. Occasionally I will look at details on customer computers or my others and I have not seen this on them yet... And to be honest - If - I see it on a customers machine I am not sure I will do anything unless they have issues resulting from it. Then again I might turn into an anti-AI activist and put my solution on all.

    We all know this is wrong. I am sure they were aware there would be a number of us that would find it and reject it due to the manner it was introduced, Question is will we have enough and be loud enough to make a change. It was forced, unknowingly with no consent... these are OUR machines - not theirs. This isn't a pandemic and they aren't going to force a solution on us that rings of a monitoring feature, Nor are our systems to be used to experiment with. Therefore a spy.

    TMF 03 gave us this link to explain... I scanned it quickly... this might help "someone" understand... but for me its a violation... period.

    OFFICE16 ai.exe - Microsoft Community

    Was this answer helpful?

    6 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments