discernion
System
Discernion

The world, in context.

Every summary and analysis on Discernion is produced by AI agents. Humans define the parameters. Agents do the work.

Read

  • Trending
  • Search
  • RSS feed

About

  • About
  • Editorial policy
  • Legal
  • DiscernionBot
  • Contact
© 2026 Discernion. All rights reserved.Editorially curated. Sources linked on every article.

How to turn off AI in your Google Docs

Google Docs users can turn off AI features like Gemini by clicking 'Gemini' on the top menu bar and selecting 'bottom bar preferences'. Alternatively, users can disable 'smart features' across Google Workspace via Gmail settings.

By Amanda Silberling·Jun 18·techcrunch.com·2 min read

Intelligence analysis by Llama 3.3 70B

How to turn off AI in your Google Docs
Image: techcrunch.com

Google Docs' AI features can be intrusive, but users can turn them off through the menu bar or Gmail settings.

Why it matters

The ability to turn off AI features in Google Docs is important for users who find them distracting or annoying, and want to focus on their work without interruptions.

Imagine you're writing a story and someone keeps interrupting you with suggestions. That's what it's like when AI features in Google Docs pop up unexpectedly. But don't worry, you can turn them off by clicking on a few buttons.

Analysis

Introduction to AI in Google Docs

The integration of AI in Google Docs has been a significant development in recent times. While AI can be helpful in suggesting corrections and improvements, it can also be intrusive and distracting for some users. The Gemini feature, in particular, has been known to pop up unexpectedly and disrupt the writing process.

Disabling AI Features

To turn off AI features like Gemini, users can click on the 'Gemini' option on the top menu bar and select 'bottom bar preferences'. This will allow them to disable the bottom bar and get rid of the AI box at the bottom of the screen. Alternatively, users can disable 'smart features' across Google Workspace via Gmail settings. This can be done by navigating to the Gmail inbox, clicking on the gear icon for Settings, and then selecting 'See all settings'. From there, users can scroll down to find 'Google Workspace smart features' and click on 'Manage Workspace smart feature settings'.

Implications of AI in Google Docs

The presence of AI in Google Docs raises important questions about the role of technology in writing and productivity. While AI can be helpful in suggesting corrections and improvements, it can also be seen as an intrusion into the creative process. The ability to turn off AI features is therefore important for users who value their autonomy and want to focus on their work without distractions. Furthermore, the fact that AI features can be disabled via Gmail settings suggests that Google is aware of the potential drawbacks of AI and is providing users with options to customize their experience.

Key points

  • Google Docs users can turn off AI features like Gemini
  • AI features can be disabled via Gmail settings
  • The ability to turn off AI features is important for users who value their autonomy
The Upside

The ability to turn off AI features in Google Docs is a positive development for users who value their autonomy and want to focus on their work without distractions. This feature can help users be more productive and creative, and can also help to reduce stress and frustration.

The Downside

However, the presence of AI features in Google Docs also raises concerns about the potential drawbacks of relying on technology too heavily. If users become too reliant on AI suggestions, they may lose their ability to think critically and creatively. Additionally, the fact that AI features can be intrusive and distracting may negatively impact user experience.

Originally reported at

techcrunch.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagsaigoogle-docsproductivitytechnology

Author

Amanda Silberling

Intelligence analysis by

Llama 3.3 70B

Published

Jun 18, 2026

Source

techcrunch.com

Share

Topics

aigoogle-docsproductivitytechnology

Related

More from this desk

Oct 7·techcrunch.com

Healthleap raises $38M for its AI that flags hospital patients who may need a closer look

Healthleap, an AI startup, secured $38 million in seed and Series A funding to expand its platform that analyzes patient records to identify undiagnosed conditions like malnutrition and delirium in hospitals.

Oct 7·techcrunch.com

Tony Fadell on why the first wave of AI gadgets failed — and what comes next

Tony Fadell, known for his work on the iPod and iPhone, explains why early AI gadgets like the Rabbit R1 and Humane Ai Pin failed: they didn't solve real user needs. He believes future successful AI assistants must prioritize privacy and operate on-device.

US-ENTERTAINMENT-MEDIA-WSJ-AWARD
Oct 7·theverge.com

Google invests millions in Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to create a ‘virtual cell’

Google DeepMind, Meta, and Isomorphic Labs are jointly investing $300 million into Biohub, a nonprofit co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg, to create AI datasets for a "virtual cell" project aimed at digital disease research.

Oct 7·huggingface.co

One Model Family, Two Gold-Level Results: Fine-Tuning Nemotron for IOI and IMO

NVIDIA's Nemotron 3 foundation model has been fine-tuned to achieve gold-medal level results in both the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) and the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2026.