How To How To - Disable Google AI Overview

[SyCoREAPER]

I am a bit hesitant to post this as I worry that Google might patch it but without the community working on this it will never be fixed.

For now, I can only get AI Overview blocked using Firefox (and Forks) on Mobile and for PC/Mac works wherever you can create a custom search engine.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&num=50&pws=0&udm=14&q=%s

The above disables safe search, pws - a tracking of sorts, and AI Overview as a workaround using udm=14, hl should encrypt the searches

You can alter my original search code to only have udm if you want the rest turned back on. It's a dirty workaround as it takes you to the 'Web' tab, rather than 'All' skipping AI Overview altogether.

You can, though I can't get it to work because the string changes constantly, block AI Overview with an ad-blocker, HOWEVER, while you don't see AI Overview, it is still running in the background, it seems to be injected rather than inserted externally (not sure if thats the best way to describe it). I've tried numerous custom scripts, tried GPT creating one for me and nothing other than above seems to work consistently.




You may not even be aware of AI Overview depending on your country, but basically it is AI Spyware by Google (that is not an anti-AI statement, as I said I use GPT). It takes your searches, scrapes them either for training or targeted adverts. It currently cannot be turned off. It takes up screen space, adds time to the search and is often inaccurate or irrelevant.


If anyone can contribute to this effort to block, please do speak up. I'm all for AI (you don't need to be, not pushing an agenda) but I am thoroughly against forced usage especially at the expense of user experience and privacy.

EDIT Made: Went through many revisions, forgot hl which should encrypt all searches

 

[USAFRet]

It takes your searches, scrapes them either for training or targeted adverts.

Google has been doing that since literally Day 1 of 'google'.

 

[SyCoREAPER]

Google has been doing that since literally Day 1 of 'google'.

Well I know that, Google makes money data-mining, but thats not the point I'm making. It's that they are using search queries to live train their AI model and said model (based on what we've seen so far) is dumb as a brick, It's likely taking even personal information thats going into an AI database and could be regurgitated to other users.

It's a privacy concern as well as a functional and atheistic one. Tons of screen real-estate is taken up and it slows loading results by a meaningful amount.

 

[USAFRet]

Well I know that, Google makes money data-mining, but thats not the point I'm making. It's that they are using search queries to live train their AI model and said model (based on what we've seen so far) is dumb as a brick, It's likely taking even personal information thats going into an AI database and could be regurgitated to other users.

It's a privacy concern as well as a functional and atheistic one. Tons of screen real-estate is taken up and it slows loading results by a meaningful amount.

Oh, don't get me wrong.
I also am not a fan of all this AI junk. (even and especially ChatGPT).
But just saying that google scraping what you search for is absolutely NOT a new thing, or AI only.

 

[SyCoREAPER]

Oh, don't get me wrong.
I also am not a fan of all this AI junk. (even and especially ChatGPT).
But just saying that google scraping what you search for is absolutely NOT a new thing, or AI only.

I know and respect that, like I said AI isn't for everyone. It's the blind approach they are taking here. My search string bypasses AI Overview from every getting triggered, removes some tracking and disables safe search.

It will never stop datamining, that is server-side and part of the ToS on data collection, my aim is to simply remove the crap AI and bring back the old search "experience" and remove added search time and AI.

It's not perfect but at least Google searches are faster.