How to disable AI features from Word, Google and Grammarly
Updated: 2 days ago
If you’re tired of AI being shoehorned into every aspect of digital life, you’re not alone. Tech companies keep rolling out new AI features, whether we want them or not, and opting out is either impossible or difficult.
This has resulted in an AI backlash, with users complaining that platforms or software are weakening their skills or using their content for training. To address this, I’ve got some tips for disabling (or limiting) AI features – many of them hidden – so you can minimise your exposure.
Why disable AI features?
If you’ve embraced generative AI in your life or your employer has embedded it in almost every workflow, disabling it may not be an option. But if you’re on the fence, here’s why you should consider disabling AI features:
To maintain essential skills such as writing, critical thinking and decision-making.
To prevent content or personal information from being used to train large language models.
To avoid relying on outputs that may be inaccurate, biased or plagiarised.
To avoid triggering AI detection tools (despite their unreliability).
To eliminate features you don’t need or use.
To minimise your environmental impact.
To protect human creativity, imagination and effort.
What’s more, publishers (among others) are adding AI clauses in their contracts to counteract slop and protect copyright – and it's not just about Claude or ChatGPT. Even Word 365's built-in Editor and Grammarly are powered by generative AI, which means that overreliance could trigger AI detection tools.
So if you want to be taken seriously as a writer – and increase your chances of getting published – it pays to avoid generative AI. For more on this topic, see Why using AI could be hurting your writing.
Note: The following instructions were published on 1 October 2026. Check with Microsoft, Google and Grammarly to see if they still apply. Also, disabling AI might make other features unavailable, so read the fine print before proceeding.
How to turn off Copilot in Word
If you’ve got Word 365, Copilot acts as an AI assistant when you’re creating documents. Here’s how to turn it off:
Open a Word document.
Click on File in the top left-hand corner.
Choose Options at the bottom.
Go to the Copilot tab.
Uncheck the box.
Reopen your Word document and the Copilot menu should be greyed out.
How to turn off connected experiences in Word
If you’ve got Word 365, this feature may use your content to train AI models. Here’s how to turn it off:
Open a Word document.
Click on File in the top left-hand corner.
Choose Account at the bottom.
Under Account Privacy, click on the Manage Settings button.
Scroll down to Connected Experiences and untick 'Experiences that analyze your content'.
Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
How to turn off smart features in Google Docs
Smart features in Google Docs may use your data for feature improvement and personalisation. Here’s how to turn them off:
Open a Google Doc.
Go to Tools and select Preferences.
Untick 'Show Smart Compose suggestions' and 'Show Smart Reply suggestions'.
Click OK.
How to turn off smart features in Google Workspace
Smart features in Gmail may use your data for feature improvement and personalisation. Here’s how to turn them off:
Open Gmail in your web browser.
Go to the settings icon (gears) and click on the See all settings button.
Scroll down to 'Google Workspace smart features' and click on the 'Manage Workspace smart features setting' button.
In the box, uncheck 'Smart features in Google Workspace' and 'Smart features in other Google products'.
Click Save.
How to hide Google AI overviews
We all know how annoying and unreliable AI overviews can be. To turn them off, download the free Chrome extension: Hide Google AI Overviews. However, this can’t be downloaded on your phone. In that case, consider using an AI-free browser, such as Vivaldi, Orion, Pale Moon or Waterfox.
How to turn off AI in Grammarly
When it first launched, Grammarly was a basic grammar and word checker. These days it’s powered by generative AI. Here’s how to turn this off:
Log in to the Grammarly website.
Click on Account and select Settings.
Choose 'Feature customisation' at the top.
Under Generative AI, toggle all the switches to Off.
But don’t stop there. Grammarly can still use your content to train AI. Here’s how to disable that feature:
Log in to the Grammarly website.
Click on Account and select Settings.
Choose Privacy at the bottom.
Under Product Improvement and Training, toggle the switch to Off.
Summary: How to disable AI features from Word, Google and Grammarly
So there you have it. Word, Google and Grammarly AI features – all disabled or limited. I’ve focused on commonly used platforms, but there are others you could address. In addition to minimising unintentional use of generative AI, these strategies also prevent third parties from mining your data to train large language models or chatbots. Most importantly, it tells tech companies that users want AI features to be optional, not compulsory.
Looking for a freelance editor who doesn’t use generative AI and won’t feed your work into LLMs? Then get in touch for a quote or ask for a sample edit.
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