You have likely noticed that your favorite apps are becoming increasingly crowded with new AI assistants. If you find these constant prompts and floating bars more distracting than helpful, you are not alone. Fortunately, there are ways to clean up your workspace if you prefer to write without an AI hovering over your shoulder. WHAT'S HAPPENING: Google is rolling out Gemini, its artificial intelligence assistant, directly into tools like Google Docs and Gmail. For many users, this appears as a persistent bar at the bottom of the screen or a new menu in the interface. If you use a personal account, you have some control over whether these appear. If you use a company-issued account, your employer controls these settings, and you may be unable to remove them. You can hide the bar in Google Docs by clicking the Gemini menu and selecting your preferences, or you can go into your Gmail settings to turn off smart features entirely. Using a browser extension is another method that works by hiding these visual elements from your view entirely. ## Removing the digital clutter HOW IT WORKS: These AI tools in your word processor function by constantly analyzing your text as you type. When the system offers to rewrite a paragraph or suggest a word, it is using a model—a mathematical engine trained on massive amounts of data to predict what comes next. To keep these features running smoothly, the software needs a continuous connection to Google's servers. By changing your settings in Gmail, you are essentially telling the platform to stop calling on those background models. The reason the controls for Google Docs are often buried in your Gmail settings is that these apps share the same underlying system. When you turn off smart features, you are disabling a broad category of AI tools. This includes the helpful stuff, like grammar checkers, smart reply, and automatic spelling corrections. Because the AI that suggests a complete sentence is built using the same core technology as the AI that helps you draft a document, turning one off often requires turning them all off. WHY IT MATTERS: The presence of AI in these apps is an experiment in how we interact with technology. For some, having an assistant help with phrasing is a significant time-saver. For others, it interrupts the flow of work. By learning how to toggle these features, you reclaim the ability to choose your own writing environment. It is a reminder that while these companies view AI as a default, you remain the user. Taking control of your interface helps you decide when and where technology should participate in your creative process, rather than leaving that choice to the software companies.
Liked this one? The next lands at breakfast.
Every story in tomorrow's AI news, rebuilt in plain English — five minutes, sources linked, free forever.
By joining you agree to receive Article's daily newsletter — unsubscribe in one click. Privacy