AI Summary Appears in Word Even Though Copilot Is Disabled

Bailey Amber 0 Reputation points
2026-08-13T11:58:48.5466667+00:00

After a Windows update installed overnight, an AI-generated summary started appearing at the top of my Word documents. I had previously disabled Copilot in Word, and I have verified that it remains turned off. The Copilot icon is still grayed out, indicating that it is not active.

How can I prevent these AI summaries from appearing in my documents, despite Copilot being disabled?

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  1. Alina Le 5,000 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-13T13:06:24.9+00:00

    Hello @Bailey Amber

    I understand why this behavior is confusing. If the Copilot button remains grayed out and Copilot is still disabled in Word, it is reasonable to expect that other AI-related experiences would also be turned off.

    However, based on the current behavior and available documentation, it is not possible to conclude that the automatic document summary and the Copilot button are controlled by the same setting.

    At this time, I also have not found a documented setting that specifically and completely disables the automatic summary experience independently.

    Therefore, if these summaries are affecting your workflow, I recommend submitting feedback through the Microsoft Feedback Portal and requesting a dedicated setting to control or disable the automatic summary experience. This would allow the product team to better evaluate the demand for more granular controls.

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    Since other users may have the same concern, you are welcome to share the feedback link here after submitting it. Other community members can vote on the request, which may help increase its visibility and attract additional attention from the product team for future consideration.

    Thank you for your patience, kindness, and effort in bringing attention to this matter.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-13T11:59:02.0033333+00:00

    The supported way to stop Copilot in Word is to clear Enable Copilot in Word and restart the app:

    1. In Word on Windows, go to File > Options > Copilot.
    2. Clear Enable Copilot.
    3. Select OK.
    4. Close and restart Word.

    Important limits from the current guidance:

    • The Enable Copilot setting is per app and per device.
    • Turning Copilot off disables the ribbon icon and Copilot capabilities in that app.
    • There is no supported setting in the provided guidance to separately disable the AI summary that appears at the top of documents while Copilot is already turned off.
    • A July 2025 Word update introduced automatic summary of documents on file-open in Word.

    If the summary started after an update even though Copilot remains disabled, the provided guidance does not document a separate user control for that summary experience.

    Also check that Word is not running elevated:

    • If Word is started with Run as administrator, Office can lose cloud-connected features behavior and Copilot availability can be affected.
    • Open Word normally, not from an elevated shortcut or elevated command prompt.
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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