How to disable or avoid intrusive AI

[Put on your own oxygen mask first! Image from San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives] One of the biggest questions I get at Drop-In Time at the library (besides “what is taking up all my cloud storage?”) is how to disable or avoid intrusive AI that shows up where people don\’t want it. I\’m going to make a handout that explains how to do some of the basic AI-removal or AI-avoidance things. This is a guide for people who would like less intrusive AI in their tech environment. Maybe you like AI and find it useful? That\’s fine, this document is probably not for you. Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Docs &c) In Gmail, click the Settings (gear) icon, and then select See all settings. On the General tab, scroll down to Google Workspace smart features. Click Manage Workspace smart feature settings and toggle off two options: Smart features in Google Workspace and Smart features in other Google products. Uncheck the box next to Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet on the same…