Bing lets you remove AI answers: a guide to turning them off

Microsoft offers two ways to hide AI answers in Bing: install the Microsoft Bing AI Search Choice extension, available in preview for Chrome and Edge, or add -ai to the end of a search. The extension keeps your choice between queries, but it also changes your browser’s default search engine to Bing.

Who can use these options

Both options are intended for people who search on Bing and don’t want AI-generated answers on the results page. Microsoft says the extension works with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. The operator requires no installation, but you have to add it to the query each time.

The change applies to AI answers in Bing results. It is not a general control for turning off Copilot in other Microsoft products or areas: SoftZone specifically distinguishes search engine features from Copilot integrations elsewhere, such as Windows or Edge.

Before choosing, it’s worth keeping the practical difference in mind: the extension remembers your preference between searches; the operator works only for the query in which it is entered. Microsoft notes that the extension is in preview, so it may change based on feedback.

How to search without AI answers

1. Try the -ai operator first. It’s the most direct option if you only want to remove generated answers from some searches. Enter your query in Bing and add a space followed by -ai at the end. For example, Microsoft suggests searching for why is the sky blue -ai. Punto Informatico also shows the format with migliori portatili 2026 -ai. The result is a search page without AI-generated answers.
2. Make sure you added it to your Bing query. The operator must be part of the search you submit. If you make another query afterward, you’ll need to add -ai again: it is not a permanent browser preference or an option that applies automatically to future searches.
3. Install the extension only if you want a persistent setting. Microsoft Bing AI Search Choice is available for Chrome and Edge. Microsoft describes it as a preview extension with a toggle for choosing whether to show AI answers. The preference applies to all Bing searches, so you don’t have to repeat the change for each query.
4. Check your default search engine before installing it. Microsoft and Windows Central warn that the extension sets Bing as the default search engine. If you don’t want that change, you can avoid installing it and use -ai only for queries where you want to exclude AI answers.
5. Choose the toggle setting according to your search. The extension lets you turn AI answers on or off; Microsoft’s documentation describes the toggle as a choice between AI-generated summaries and traditional results with links. If the extension is installed, use this control to change the preference applied to Bing searches.
6. If the extension is in preview, keep in mind that it may change. Microsoft says it may modify the extension based on feedback. If the toggle stops behaving as expected, the -ai operator remains the alternative Microsoft offers for searching without installing anything.

What changes and what doesn’t

The persistent option isn’t presented as a setting on Bing’s settings page: Microsoft offers a browser extension. Search Engine Roundtable notes that Bing previously had a setting to control Copilot answers on the results page, but it was later removed. The article reproduces the text of that old control, but that description is not a current way to configure search.

So, don’t look for a toggle in Bing’s settings as if it were still available: the two options Microsoft currently explains are the extension and the operator. If you want to avoid browser changes, the latter is the alternative; if you’d rather not add the suffix to every query, the former offers a preference that applies to all Bing searches.

Also, don’t interpret “without AI” as turning off all of Microsoft’s artificial intelligence features. The stated scope is AI answers in Bing Search. The option is not presented as a control for disabling Copilot in Windows, Edge, or other services.

Mistakes to avoid

• Don’t install the extension without accepting the search engine change. When you install it, Bing becomes the default search provider, even if your main goal is to hide AI answers.
• Don’t forget -ai for one-off searches. The operator doesn’t save a preference for the next query. If it doesn’t appear at the end of a later search, you haven’t asked Bing to apply that option to that query.
• Don’t confuse Bing answers with Copilot across Microsoft. The tools described apply to Bing search results; they don’t promise to remove AI from other apps or services.
• Don’t assume the extension is final. It remains in preview, and Microsoft says it may change based on feedback received.
• Don’t confuse the old setting with one that’s available today. Search Engine Roundtable describes Bing controls that existed previously, but Microsoft currently presents the extension and -ai as the two ways to search without generated answers.

If you only occasionally want to search without AI, add -ai to those queries. If you want the preference to apply to all your Bing searches, the extension offers that control, in exchange for setting Bing as your default search engine.

Sources: Punto Informatico, Search Engine Roundtable, SoftZone, Microsoft Bing Blog, Windows Central