{"slug": "til-disable-built-in-ai-features-in-vs-code", "title": "TIL: Disable Built-In AI Features in VS Code", "summary": "Setting `chat.disableAIFeatures` to `true` in VS Code user settings hides the editor's native AI menus, disables inline ghost-text suggestions, and stops the bundled GitHub Copilot extensions from running, according to a first-person account of stripping the built-in AI features out of the editor. The setting, added to the root object of the user settings JSON file, also blocks Copilot network calls so no context is sent to Copilot backend services when signed in, and VS Code preserves it across app updates. Third-party Marketplace AI extensions are left untouched and must be disabled or uninstalled separately in the Extensions view via Cmd+Shift+X.", "body_md": "## On this page\n\n# Disable Built-In AI Features in VS Code\n\nToday I stripped the built-in AI features out of [VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/).\n\nI run [Claude Code](https://kondasamy.com/blog/2025/claude-code-tips-tricks/), [Pi](https://kondasamy.com/blog/2026/pi-agent-multi-tool-workflow/), [omp](https://kondasamy.com/blog/2026/omp-coding-agent-architecture-deep-dive/), and [OpenCode](https://opencode.ai/) in the terminal. I open VS Code to read diffs and jump to definitions.\n\nI left [Cursor](https://cursor.com/) because its editor AI got in the way of my terminal tools. Recent VS Code updates ship that same clutter: Chat panels, title-bar buttons, inline ghost text, and right-click prompts.\n\n## The One-Line Fix\n\nSet `chat.disableAIFeatures` to `true` in your user settings to hide native AI menus and stop the bundled GitHub Copilot extensions.\n\n1. Open the Command Palette with `Cmd+Shift+P` on macOS or`Ctrl+Shift+P` on Windows and Linux.\n2. Run **Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)** .\n3. Add `\"chat.disableAIFeatures\": true` inside the root`{}` object:\n\n```\n{\n  \"chat.disableAIFeatures\": true\n}\n```\n\n1. Save the file. Run **Developer: Reload Window** from the Command Palette if any AI icons remain.\n\nOr click the **Chat** icon in the title bar and pick **Learn How to Hide AI Features** to toggle the checkbox in the Settings UI.\n\n## Before and After\n\n| Surface | Default VS Code | With `chat.disableAIFeatures: true` | \n|---|---|---|\n| **Title bar and sidebars** | Copilot Chat icon and AI chat views | Hidden | \n| **Editor canvas** | Inline ghost-text suggestions and inline chat prompts | Disabled | \n| **Copilot extensions** | Running in the extension host | Disabled; no background processes run | \n| **Copilot network calls** | Sends context to Copilot backend when signed in | Blocked; sends no data to Copilot services | \n| **Third-party AI extensions** | Active if installed | Left alone; remove them in the Extensions view | \n\nIf you turn off inline completions by themselves, VS Code keeps the Chat sidebar and Copilot extension processes running. Flip `chat.disableAIFeatures` to `true` and you shut down the whole built-in AI stack at once.\n\n## User vs. Workspace Scope\n\nConfigure `chat.disableAIFeatures` in your user profile or per repository:\n\n| Scope | File Location | Use Case | \n|---|---|---|\n| **User** | `~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json` (macOS) | Disable built-in AI across all projects | \n| **Workspace** | `.vscode/settings.json` | Disable built-in AI in one repository | \n\nVS Code keeps this setting across app updates, so new releases will not turn Copilot Chat back on.\n\nThis setting targets VS Code’s built-in AI and GitHub Copilot. Disable or uninstall third-party AI extensions in the Extensions view (`Cmd+Shift+X`).\n\n## What I Learned\n\n- Set `\"chat.disableAIFeatures\": true` to hide the Chat UI and inline suggestions while disabling the bundled Copilot extensions.\n- You stop Copilot background processes and block requests to Copilot backend services when you enable the setting.\n- VS Code preserves the setting when you update the editor.\n- You must disable or uninstall third-party Marketplace AI extensions in the Extensions view (`Cmd+Shift+X` ).\n\n## References\n\n- [VS Code FAQ: Can I disable AI functionality in VS Code?](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/supporting/faq#_can-i-disable-ai-functionality-in-vs-code)\n- [VS Code Docs: Remove AI features from VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/copilot#_remove-ai-features-from-vs-code)\n\n*Running terminal coding agents alongside a stripped-down editor? Tell me how your setup looks on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kondasamy/).*", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/til-disable-built-in-ai-features-in-vs-code", "canonical_source": "https://kondasamy.com/til/2026/vscode-disable-ai-features/", "published_at": "2026-10-15 00:00:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-10-15 05:51:17.321394+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-tools", "developer-tools", "ai-products"], "entities": ["VS Code", "GitHub Copilot", "Cursor", "Claude Code", "OpenCode", "Pi", "omp"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/til-disable-built-in-ai-features-in-vs-code", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/til-disable-built-in-ai-features-in-vs-code.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/til-disable-built-in-ai-features-in-vs-code.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/til-disable-built-in-ai-features-in-vs-code.jsonld"}}