How to turn off Gemini AI across the Google services you visit every day

Google’s Gemini AI Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over User Privacy Concerns

The specter of violating user privacy is once again haunting Google, and this time around, AI is at the center of it. Specifically, the Gemini AI and its deep integration within Google’s productivity tools, such as Gmail and Meet, have triggered a class-action lawsuit alleging that the AI chatbot unlawfully tracked users’ private data.

The lawsuit claims that Gemini was “secretly” enabled within the aforesaid apps that are bundled with the Workspace productivity apps suite. Some of the claims made in the lawsuit are pretty damning and concerning for any user who dips into Google apps on a daily basis for getting work done. Take, for example, this segment: “Despite users never giving Google informed consent to track and store their private communications, Google does just that, using Gemini AI to access and exploit the entire recorded history of its users’ private communications, including literally every email and attachment sent and received in their Gmail accounts.”

Why is this a cause of concern?

Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

I have been using Google’s Gemini AI ever since it first landed on the mobile and web. Over the past year, Gemini has made its way to virtually every Google product, from Gmail and Calendar to even the Files app on Android. I have heavily pushed these tools, even when they’re integrated with third-party products such as Mind Space on the OnePlus 15.

But in the wake of the lawsuit, I am thinking of toning down — or disabling Gemini — in Google apps and software where I don’t require AI smarts. And if you’re someone who isn’t keen on shoehorning AI in products where you don’t need it, you should consider taking the same route.

Disabling Gemini for other apps

There are multiple ways to disable Gemini. Since Gmail is one of the most widely used Google products, we will start there. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open Gmail on the web and in the top row, click on the gear-shaped Settings icon.
2. In the side panel that opens alongside the right edge, click on the All Settings option.
3. On the unified settings dashboard that opens, scroll down till you find the option that says Google Workspace smart features. Tap on the corresponding pill-shaped button that says Manage Workspace smart feature settings.
4. Next, you will see a large pop-up window titled Google Workspace smart features that gives a unified access point for controlling Gemini and other AI-powered features in Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Meet, and more.
5. If you only want to turn off Gemini within Workspace apps, flick to disable the first toggle. But if you also want Gemini to stop pulling data from other Google products to give you more personalized answers, also turn off the second toggle underneath.

Where else must you look for Gemini-fication?

Chrome is another app that is among the most widely used Google products across mobile and desktop. Naturally, it has been treated to a whole bunch of AI-powered features, such as conversational search and AI mode.