Turn off/Block AI features

[msr]

Is there a way to turn-off or otherwise block and hide all AI features? I generally find the AI-push to be morally repugnant (among other things, I am an author whose work has been stolen for training) and I hate to see these features creep into software I use. I have zero interest in ever using so-called AI for anything.

Unlike with many other pieces of software, the AI features in Calibre are somewhat hidden rather than shoved "in your face", but I'd like to disable them completely and given the current pattern I expect they (and additional AI options) are likely to become more prominent over time.

Currently I've disabled all the AI interface plugins, but I'd go further if an option were available.

[kovidgoyal]

There are no AI features in calibre unless you explicitly enable them. You dont even need to disable the plugins, they do nothing (even their code is not loaded) until and unless they are configured. The worst you get is a few menu entries. Simply ignore them.

[mpeg2]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

There are no AI features in calibre unless you explicitly enable them...

Thank you for taking this approach.

[Amalthia]

I'm still dismayed by the AI push into all software. I uninstalled co-pilot on my computer but it's still visible and available in Excel. I haven't been able to figure out how to remove it since almost all instructions say uninstall co-pilot. Once co-pilot has been uninstalled then the other instructions fail to disable co-pilot in Excel. It's a frustrating experience to say the least.

It's safe to say I'm in the camp that I'd prefer to install the features I want and not have it pushed onto my machine.

Also, with the energy and water requirements of AI I think it should be saved for more important things like medical research, not asking AI to write a school paper. What a waste...

[Rand Brittain]

Yeah, I'm definitely dismayed to see Calibre joining the other developers putting useless and counterproductive "AI" features into the software.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Amalthia

I'm still dismayed by the AI push into all software. I uninstalled co-pilot on my computer but it's still visible and available in Excel. I haven't been able to figure out how to remove it since almost all instructions say uninstall co-pilot. Once co-pilot has been uninstalled then the other instructions fail to disable co-pilot in Excel. It's a frustrating experience to say the least.

It's safe to say I'm in the camp that I'd prefer to install the features I want and not have it pushed onto my machine.

Also, with the energy and water requirements of AI I think it should be saved for more important things like medical research, not asking AI to write a school paper. What a waste...

Turn it off in Excel options, you may have to restart Excel to get the option to stick ==>> Turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps - Microsoft Support

BR

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

There are no AI features in calibre unless you explicitly enable them. You dont even need to disable the plugins, they do nothing (even their code is not loaded) until and unless they are configured. The worst you get is a few menu entries. Simply ignore them.

Can we have the excess AI code removed please and make them plugins so we don't have the AI bloat?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by mpeg2

Thank you for taking this approach.

The best approach is plugins for the AI.

[rjwse@aol.com]

There is AI and then there is AI. We have not yet seen it all. It is "the best of times and the worst of times" so far. I think of myself as an imaginative sort but I cannot conceive of where it is all going. If you have a huge, complex program you are learning, one with endless drop-down menus and overlapping complexity (like Gimp) an AI query is a very good teaching tool.

[rantanplan]

There is no AI. LLMs are statistical prediction models.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rantanplan

There is no AI. LLMs are statistical prediction models.

Same difference. It's still excess bloat. Please remove the AI.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Turn it off in Excel options, you may have to restart Excel to get the option to stick ==>> Turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps - Microsoft Support

BR

I remember people complaining about the Office Assistant in Office 97 (Copilot's mom). You had to delete the Actor files or it came back and blocked access to the real help files!

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by rjwse@aol.com

There is AI and then there is AI. We have not yet seen it all. It is "the best of times and the worst of times" so far. I think of myself as an imaginative sort but I cannot conceive of where it is all going. If you have a huge, complex program you are learning, one with endless drop-down menus and overlapping complexity (like Gimp) an AI query is a very good teaching tool.

Rubbish.

Plausible rubbish.

[Quoth]

New features

Allow asking AI questions about any book in your calibre library. Right click the "View" button and choose "Discuss selected book(s) with AI"
AI: Allow asking AI what book to read next by right clicking on a book and using the "Similar books" menu
AI: Add a new backend for "LM Studio" which allows running various AI models locally

I'm not updating till this is scrapped. It's a thin end of a wedge and encouraging people to use these over-hyped LLMs, even though off by default. Destroying the planet, impairing mental health and filling up with plausible nonsense, or illegally copied sources and without accurate citations.

There are "AI" that works, but Generative AI / LLM isn't one of them.

[rantanplan]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Same difference. It's still excess bloat. Please remove the AI.

I think you misunderstood me. I’m against LLMs here. But calling it AI or „hallucinations“ humanises a process that has nothing to do with intelligence.