Option to turn off all AI features

marc_vb

I don't like AI for several reasons and thus prefer to not use it.

I would like to have an option to disable all AI functionality.

I know I could fiddle with CSS to remove the button, but I can't do that for when you type in a question ending with a question mark.

Vlad

marc_vb All AI functionality in Kagi is by default turned off apart from using ? at the end of query which can be turned off as described above.

sefidel

FWIW You can disable the question mark trigger on Search -> General

CrunchyFritos

This seems like a fair request and might also do a lot to assuage the pretty frequent forum posts worrying about the Kagi team’s philosophy towards using AI.

A nice side effect might be that it frees up the team to continue developing AI features for those of us who really appreciate them while still assuring those with concerns about Kagi’s commitment to using AI only to enhance rather than substitute for search.

timcoffman

Vlad Except, now there are at least three places: Auto Quick Answer, Instant Answers, and Summary Box.

timcoffman

Vlad Also, whether the cost of AI queries is directly affecting the subscription price or not, there is absolutely a perception that AI searches has high externalized costs, including negative affects on water resources and climate change. I would absolutely turn off this feature with one click set if I could. This would let me express a permanent preference against new AI-based features in case you decide to add some that are on by default, like you did with Auto Quick Answer.

Vlad

timcoffman Instant Answers are disabled and I am not sure what you mean by Summary Box. As I said the only way AI is semi-automatically triggered (it is still on demand) as when the user adds ? to the end of the query (and this can be disabled in settings).

Prostagma

Vlad He could be referring to the "Summarize Page" feature

Vlad

Prostagma It is on demand though?

CrunchyFritos

My interpretation is that OP is referring to the UI elements in addition to the AI functionality. Seems like he's asking for a master shut-off switch that also removes even the UI elements suggestive of GenAI functionality. It makes sense but would definitely commit the team to a small amount of overhead work for every new AI feature moving forward.

marc_vb

CrunchyFritos
Correct. I am against AI in principle.

Knowing that, because of the hype, everyone calls pretty much everything AI, I'll define a little more specifically what I'm against:

I am against the free collection of data (for LLM) without explicit permission. At this time of urgent climate problems, when we are desperately looking for green energy, it is ethically inexplicable that we will use that green energy for AI.

I use Kagi for ethical reasons, in addition to the better search results, and then the (visible) presence of AI functions is difficult to swallow.

That is also one of the reasons why I appreciate Vivaldi so much. They refuse to include AI in their products and services.

So I do hope that Kagi offers a "kill switch" that disables all AI functionality.

Vlad

We had this discussion internally and it is an interesting one. In understand the request here is to not just turn off the feature (which for the most part is already turned off by Kagi by default), but remove its mentions in the UI.

I am considering the precedent this may create - If we do this are we expected to add similar options to for example remove Maps feature completely (not just disable it) from Kagi because someone may not like Apple Maps? And what other technologies will we need to make completely customizable and removable from the UI down the road? I worry that this approach will create an incredible maintenance burden on our small team.

So I would like to further understand if our approach of simply not using AI by default and makiting it on demand everywhere is good enough?

freediverx

Vlad
While your “slippery slope” concern is valid, we shouldn’t pretend that AI is just another feature that users may or may not want. It is the current scam du jour embraced by Wall Street and tech bros and similar in offensiveness to the previously popular scam which was crypto. As such, it merits special consideration.

carl

Vlad I worry that this approach will create an incredible maintenance burden on our small team.

You are right and I think it's time for Kagi to push back against over-demanding requests. I'd rather see you focus on bringing unique improvement in information search, things that nobody else has that makes you have to pay for Kagi to get it, rather than tailoring the UI to very personal tastes.

marc_vb

It’s not a big problem if the buttons are there.

It would be nice if I could turn them off, because it's not a very ethical feature to say the least.

https://cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog/112462031157002522

https://vivaldi.com/blog/technology/vivaldi-wont-allow-a-machine-to-lie-to-you/

andreagrandi

Kagi has various AI related settings all scattered around the Settings page and it's not intuitive to turn them off (often because it's not explicit they use AI).

For example: "Instant Answers" and "Auto Quick Answer" are AI related, right? How many other there are? I personally don't know.

I'm fine with the presence of features like the Summariser, because I know that LLM will be used explicitly in that case, but I don't like LLM/AI affecting my search results.

I would like a simple option like "Disable AI generated content from search result", which disables all these features for me, if flipped on.

Up to you what default value to give it, but I would love a centralised place where to disable this.

Last but not least: many users of Google and DDG are looking for alternatives which don't include AI. I've read a few people saying "Oh, I joined Kagi, so I don't have to stand this AI s***" because they don't even know you also include AI stuff.

Please give us a choice.

Thanks

Vlad

andreagrandi

I'm fine with the presence of features like the Summariser, because I know that LLM will be used explicitly in that case, but I don't like LLM/AI affecting my search results.

That is already true by default. All AI features in Kagi are on-demand. Is there something we cna do to make this clearer?

chris_20017

Some AI kill switch seems to be a priority for a subset of users. Maybe implementing such a option in the preferences (with detailed explanation what is disabled this way) would give peace of mind to a part of the customer base and could be a selling argument as well („Want classic search only? Disable all AI related features with one click“).

andreagrandi

Vlad I mentioned both in my message, they were both on in my settings but I haven’t enabled them.

And now I just checked again and I’ve found another option, on by default, which enables again Quick Answers which are AI based

How many others are there which I haven’t found yet? That’s why I was asking for an explicit switch to turn off AI based stuff in my account.

Vlad

andreagrandi Roger. Do you mean disable them from activating, or completely removing from UI?

carl

marc_vb Programmatically it's probably not that hard, but as the user base grows, too many options and settings add confusion. Users will expect rapid support for a product they pay for.

andreagrandi How many others are there which I haven’t found yet?

This quote shows that the user doesn't primarily want their issue solved, they want Kagi to tailor their experience for all users to his or her personal taste.

AI has been "interpreting" what you type into a search engine for at least a decade by now. It is to be expected. And if those who don't want it can turn it off with just 3 clicks, I see it as a waste of time to argue for having a 1 click button. Google wouldn't even give an option.