Control AI Search & Features On Facebook & Google

© Lyn Lomasi; Owner/Shaman/Master Creator at Brand Shamans Content Community LLC

In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be taking over every corner of our digital lives, it’s easy to feel like you’re losing control. But here's the truth: You don’t have to be at the mercy of these automated systems. Whether you’re a seasoned business owner, a budding content creator, or someone looking to maintain a sense of privacy, you can reclaim your digital space. Let’s explore how to turn off AI features on Facebook and Google, step by step.

Why You Might Want to Turn Off AI Features

AI is designed to make life easier. It learns your habits, preferences, and even predicts your future actions. However, not everyone is comfortable with this level of integration. From privacy concerns to simply preferring a more hands-on approach, there are many reasons you might want to limit AI’s role in your online experience.

Benefits of AI:

• Efficiency: AI can streamline your tasks, saving you time.
• Personalization: It tailors content, ads, and recommendations to suit your preferences.
• Automation: It handles repetitive tasks, freeing up your time for more creative endeavors.

Drawbacks of AI:

• Privacy: AI’s data collection methods can feel intrusive.
• Loss of Control: The more AI learns, the more it assumes, sometimes leading to decisions you didn’t actually make.
• Over-dependence: Relying too heavily on AI might dull your critical thinking and creativity.

Now that we’ve weighed the pros and cons, let’s take control.

How To Turn Off AI Features on Facebook

Step 1: Manage AI-Powered Search Suggestions

Facebook’s search bar often provides AI-powered suggestions based on your previous searches, clicks, and interactions. To make it harder for AI to do this:

1. Go to the homepage feed on the Facebook app.
2. Click on the search bar to view the suggestions.
3. To clear your search history and reset the AI suggestions, click on “See All” at the top right of the search suggestions dropdown.
4. Here, you can delete individual search entries or clear your entire search history.
5. To delete individual results, click the x on each item under both the searches and visits tabs. To clear everything, click “clear all” at the top right. 
6. You will see a pop-up menu that asks you to clear all searches and visits. Click “clear all” once again. 

By clearing your search history, you reduce the AI’s ability to tailor future search suggestions based on your past behavior. Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct way to completely disable AI-powered suggestions, but regularly clearing your history helps minimize its influence.

Step 2: Navigate to Settings

On Facebook, start by opening your app or browser. Click on the menu icon (three horizontal lines that may also include your avatar) and scroll down to find "Settings & Privacy." Select "Settings" from the dropdown. Note that instructions below may change slightly, as Facebook often makes changes to their settings and other menus. 

Step 3: Manage AI-Powered Friends, Ads, And Content

Facebook’s AI is most visible in how it suggests friends, ads, and content. To disable these, go to “Privacy Checkup” and then to “Your Ad Preferences On Facebook.” Then, read that information and hit next. If you do not want ads based on your relationship status, employer, job title, or education, use the slider to unselect those one at a time. Then, hit next. 

Here, you can choose “who can see your social interactions alongside ads” by clicking the privacy dropdown. If you want it to be only you, select that. That ensures no one can see which ads you interact with. Now, hit next. This saves that option. Then, hit back to get back to the regular settings & privacy menu and click “See More In Accounts Center.” Then, click “ad preferences” and “manage info”. 

Review each section by clicking on it and changing the settings to your preference on every single section. To have it all the way off, you will need to not share any info in any of those sections. Under Audience-based Advertising, you may need to hit “don’t allow” in every single advertiser listed. 

Step 4: Customize Audience & Visibility

In “Settings & Privacy,” you can also limit what information Facebook uses to make AI-driven decisions. Under “Audience & Visibility,” manage who can see what you share and who can contact you. Limiting this information limits the data AI can access to make assumptions about your preferences.

Step 5: Turn Off Facial Recognition

Facebook used to have a facial recognition feature. However, this setting is no longer available and everything associated has been disabled. If you originally had it turned on, they can no longer recognize you and have stated the template will soon be deleted. 

How To Turn Off AI Features on Google

Step 1: Access Your Google Account

Log in to your Google account and click on your profile picture in the top-right corner. From the dropdown, select “Manage Your Google Account.”

Step 2: Control AI-Powered Search Suggestions

Google Search provides AI-powered suggestions as you type in the search bar. To reduce or turn off these suggestions:

1. Go to “Search Settings” by clicking the “settings” link at the bottom of the Google homepage (or you can search for “Google Search Settings” directly). Then, click “search settings”.
2. Scroll down to “Search History” and toggle that to say “Not saving.”
3. Then, under “Content”, turn “search personalization” off. Then, on the same page scroll down to My Ads center and click to turn off personalized ads. 
4. While this doesn’t turn off all AI suggestions, it stops Google from showing trending or popular searches, making your search bar less predictive.

Step 3: Manage Your Search History

Google’s AI suggestions are also based on your search history:

1. In your Google Account settings, go to “Data & Privacy.”
2. Scroll to “Web & App Activity” and turn it off. This stops Google from saving your searches and using them to provide personalized suggestions. You can also turn off location history and YouTube history here.
3. You can also choose to delete past activity in the web and app activity, location history, as well as YouTube history, which will reset the AI’s knowledge of your past searches.

Taking Back Control

Turning off AI features isn’t about rejecting technology—it’s about making conscious choices. By limiting AI’s role in your online presence, you regain control over your data, privacy, and how you interact with digital platforms. Remember, it’s your digital life; you should be the one in the driver’s seat.

Final Thought: Technology should work for you, not the other way around. If you ever feel like it’s taking more than it’s giving, it might be time to step back, reassess, and make adjustments that align with your values and comfort level.

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