AnalysisPublished 5 Mar 2026

How to disable unwanted AI assistants and features on your PC and smartphone | Kaspersky official blog

Source Kaspersky Security Blog

Description

Detailed instructions for disabling intrusive AI features in popular services and operating systems.

Impact

The primary impact of this threat is on user privacy and data confidentiality. Intrusive AI assistants can collect extensive personal information, which, if mishandled or accessed by malicious actors, could lead to privacy violations or targeted attacks. For organizations, especially those handling sensitive or regulated data, the presence of enabled AI features on employee devices may increase the risk of inadvertent data exposure. Additionally, AI assistants with network connectivity could potentially be leveraged as entry points for attackers if vulnerabilities are discovered in the future. Although no active exploits are known, the default enablement of these AI features expands the attack surface and may complicate compliance with data protection regulations. Disabling or restricting AI assistants can mitigate these risks by limiting data collection and reducing potential vectors for exploitation. The impact is more pronounced in environments with stringent privacy requirements or where sensitive information is processed on endpoint devices.

Defensive guidance

Organizations and users should audit the AI features enabled on their PCs and smartphones and disable any unnecessary or intrusive assistants. This involves following the detailed instructions provided by Kaspersky for each platform to turn off or limit AI functionalities. IT departments should incorporate AI feature management into their endpoint security policies and ensure that device configurations prevent unauthorized re-enablement. Regular training and awareness programs can help users understand the privacy implications of AI assistants and encourage proactive management. Additionally, organizations should monitor updates from OS and service providers for changes in AI feature behavior and promptly apply configuration changes as needed. Network segmentation and endpoint monitoring can further reduce risks associated with AI features communicating externally. Finally, reviewing and adjusting privacy settings related to AI data collection will help minimize exposure of sensitive information.

References

kaspersky.com/blog/how-to-switch-off-ai/55383/ (opens in a new tab)

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Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 5 Mar 2026, 12:39 UTC

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