Disabling AI Features in Windows 11's Paint App

Windows 11's Paint app has introduced several AI-powered features that can enhance your creative experience. However, not everyone may find these features useful or desirable. If you're one of those users who prefer to stick to the traditional Paint app experience, you can disable the AI features with a few tweaks. In this article, we'll walk you through the process of disabling AI features in the Paint app on Windows 11.

Understanding the AI Features in Paint

Before we dive into the process of disabling AI features, let's take a look at what these features are and what they do:

• Cocreator: This feature uses AI to generate artwork based on your input. You can describe what you want to create, and the AI will generate an image accordingly.
• Generative Fill: This feature allows you to fill a selected area with a pattern or texture generated by AI.
• Image Creator: This feature uses AI to create images from text prompts. You can enter a description of the image you want to create, and the AI will generate it for you.

Method 1: Disabling AI Features using Group Policy Editor

If you're running Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise edition, you can use the Group Policy Editor to disable AI features in the Paint app. Here's how:

1. Open the Group Policy Editor: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box, type "gpedit.msc," and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the Paint settings: In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Paint.
3. Disable AI features: Look for the following policies and set them to "Enabled": Disable Cocreator, Disable Generative Fill, Disable Image Creator.
4. Apply the changes: Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.
5. Restart your computer: Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Method 2: Disabling AI Features using Registry Editor

If you're running Windows 11 Home edition, you can use the Registry Editor to disable AI features in the Paint app. Here's how:

1. Open the Registry Editor: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box, type "regedit," and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the Paint key: In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies.
3. Create a new key: Right-click on the "Policies" key and select "New" > "Key." Name the new key "Paint."
4. Create DWORD values: Inside the "Paint" key, create the following DWORD (32-bit) values and set them to "1": DisableCocreator, DisableGenerativeFill, DisableImageCreator.
5. Restart your computer: Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Verifying the Changes

After disabling the AI features, open the Paint app to verify that the features are no longer available. You can do this by checking if the AI-powered tools are grayed out or missing from the app.

Conclusion

Disabling AI features in the Paint app on Windows 11 is a straightforward process that can be accomplished using either the Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can regain control over your Paint app experience and use it without the AI-powered features. If you change your mind in the future, you can always re-enable the AI features by reversing the changes.