Skip AI answers for an individual search
The simplest option requires no installation. Microsoft says adding -ai to a Bing query returns results without AI-generated answers.
To use it:
- Open Bing and enter your search.
- Add a space followed by
-ai. - Submit the query—for example,
why is the sky blue -ai.
The expected result is a search results page without an AI-generated answer. This is the straightforward choice for an occasional search where you want to examine links yourself rather than start with a generated summary.
Use the extension for a persistent preference
Microsoft’s Bing AI Search Choice extension, currently in preview, is available for Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Its toggle lets you turn AI answers off or back on, with the preference applying across Bing searches. Microsoft cautions that the preview may change following feedback.
There is an important distinction between installing an answer-control switch and installing only an answer-control switch. Microsoft’s Chrome Web Store listing says the extension also:
- Sets Bing as the default search engine.
- Opens Bing on every new tab.
- Automatically applies the selected AI-answer preference across searches.
That new-tab behavior is useful context beyond the announcement’s default-search disclosure. For someone who already prefers Bing everywhere, it may be welcome. For someone who has carefully arranged another new-tab experience, it is a reason to pause before installation. The Chrome listing establishes this behavior for Chrome; it should not be treated as proof of identical Edge-specific behavior.
The practical recommendation is therefore simple: choose the extension if its persistent preference and browser changes fit your workflow. For an occasional AI-free query, -ai avoids installing the extension altogether.
What “turn off AI answers” actually covers
Bing’s AI terminology needs a little unpacking. Microsoft’s product explainer distinguishes AI Overviews, which place generated summaries at the top of search results, from AI Mode, a conversational experience supporting follow-up questions. Both are powered by Copilot technology.
The announcement describes controls for AI-generated answers in Bing, but it does not enumerate every interface element they suppress. It should not be read as a promise to disable the separate AI Mode destination, remove Copilot throughout Microsoft’s products, or change Windows-wide AI settings. This is a Bing search-results control—not a master power switch for AI.
Microsoft also says Bing’s AI feature availability and functionality can vary by device, market, and browser version. That limits how confidently anyone can promise an identical experience on every screen.
A useful choice, with a browser-setting tradeoff
The strongest part of this approach is the distinction between a query-by-query decision and a persistent preference. Users need not make a permanent declaration for or against generated answers simply to conduct one search their own way.
The tradeoff is that the Chrome extension bundles answer control with default-search and new-tab changes. Those deserve consideration alongside the toggle itself. For readers who want the smallest intervention, start with the operator; for those who want a recurring preference, assess the extension’s full behavior before accepting it.
Correction (November 11, 2026): The article originally said Microsoft announced the -ai operator and the Bing AI Search Choice extension on November 11. The announcement was actually made on June 5, 2026, by Jordi Ribas, Microsoft's President of Search and AI, via LinkedIn. The how-to details in the article are unchanged.