Bing's answer to turning off AI in search: a browser extension or a "-ai" command, not a setting

Microsoft is once again promoting two ways to turn off AI features in Bing search: a browser extension, still in preview, and adding the “-ai” parameter to any query. Neither lives in the search settings, which is where the option used to be.

Microsoft's Jordi Ribas summed up the choices in a post on X: “In short, there are two ways to do this: (1) our Microsoft Bing AI Search Choice extension (preview), which lets you turn AI features on and off with one click, and (2) adding the ‘-ai’ parameter to any query. For example, try ‘why is the sky blue’ and then ‘why is the sky blue -ai’.”

Ribas acknowledged that the options aren't new. “Recently, we’ve received a lot of interest in being able to turn AI features on and off in Bing, so we wrote a blog to explain how it works,” he said. He also explained the reasoning: “We enabled these features because we believe everyone deserves a search experience that works for them, including the choice to decide how and when they use AI.”

The setting Bing took away

In an analysis published by Search Engine Roundtable on November 12, executive editor Barry Schwartz notes that the site has covered the topic twice before. The first time, Bing had a search setting to keep AI search, also known as Copilot, from showing up in the results. The second time, that setting had already been removed, and the guidance had shifted to the extension or “-ai”.

Schwartz shares a screenshot from 2024 showing the old options. One read: “Copilot answer on the results page: choose whether you want to see Copilot answers on the search results page.” Another read: “Scroll to open Copilot: choose whether you’d like Copilot to open when you scroll or swipe up at the top of the page.”

Schwartz finds it odd, maybe even suspicious, that Bing pulled the setting. In his view, search settings are the most logical place for the option, and few people will add “-ai” to their queries or install an extension. He also argues that Microsoft got what it wanted from the new announcement: several news sites covered the feature as if it were new and praised Bing for offering it. He does grant that it's good Bing offers a way to turn off AI.

What it means for brand teams

On Bing, turning off AI features now takes an extra step from the user, either adding the parameter to every query or installing the extension, since the option is no longer in the search settings. For anyone tracking how their brand shows up on Bing, “-ai” itself makes it possible to compare the same query with and without AI features.