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Turn off and restrict access to Apple Intelligence features on Mac

353 points · 223 comments · alwillis

  1. pdpi · · focus · HN ↗
    Clearly, nobody at Apple is thinking globally about this stuff.

    If you have kids, "Screen Time" is a reasonable enough name for the place where parental controls live.

    If you work under the assumption that AI features are OK in general, but potentially problematic around kids in particular, parental controls are a reasonable enough place to put these AI controls.

    If you're not a parent, and have broader concerns about AI, you'd never even think of looking for these options where they are.

    1. tpmoney · · focus · HN ↗
      It's very weird that these aren't in the already existing top level "Siri" or "Privacy & Security" settings tabs. Apple has had a problem for a while now where it seems like they just don't know what they want to do with the settings app, and like you said, doesn't have anyone in charge of the "global" view of the settings. Why are, "Appearance", "Desktop & Dock" and "Wallpaper" all different top level items? Why are "Wi-Fi" and "Network" different top level items? Why is "Battery" top level, but "Time Machine" and "Sharing" and "Date & Time" are all under "General"? Why is "Autofill & Passwords" under general and not "Privacy & Security"?
      1. dualvariable · · focus · HN ↗
        If AI/LLMs are so great, why isn't Apple using them to better organize all these settings?
        1. prmoustache · · focus · HN ↗
          Given how bad vibecoded apps are, I would say they do. It is just doing a shitty job.
      2. asdff · · focus · HN ↗
        They don't want you to associate it with it being a privacy and security shortcoming.
        1. tpmoney · · focus · HN ↗
          Sure, that's the obvious first pass snarky answer, but clearly they don't care about having associations between AI functions and privacy because they make those associations in all sorts of places. Go into the Siri controls and you find links like: "Voice input is processed on Mac. About Siri, Dictation & Privacy..." or "About Apple Intelligence & Privacy...". Go into the Privacy settings and that's where you find the "Apple Intelligence Report".

          And of course the referenced settings despite being under the Screen Time top level settings are still within a sub-section there called specifically "Content & Privacy". So the quick answer is obviously not the correct answer.

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