How do I turn off Apple Intelligence on my MacBook Pro running Sequoia 15.3.1?

If you have an Intel MacBook Pro Apple Intelligence is not available and would not be shown. If you have a Silicon Mac…

Try booting into Safe Mode then restart normally. Sometimes that will fix anomalies.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

Another way is

System Setting >> General >> Storage

Scroll down to " macOS "

On the right, click look for the small I (eye ) in a circle

If Apple Intelligence is 1 - available for this computer and 2 - is On

It would probable present as in below

Andy Baird wrote:

For a feature as important as Apple Intelligence to be hidden this way is not a good thing.

Well, it's not "hidden" on the three Macs I have running Sequoia 15.4. Not sure why yours is.

Try booting into Safe Mode then restart normally. Sometimes that will fix anomalies.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

Personally, I like Apple Intelligence but there are a fairly large group that doesn't, and disables it.

Andy Baird wrote:

"Not sure what you are saying…"

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/d063f23d-7fc5-4c2b-97b3-06884465f675

On my M1 MacBook Pro, running Sequoia 15.4, the words "Apple Intelligence & Siri" don't appear in the lefthand column of System Settings. As shown in this screenshot, all one sees is "Siri". So a user looking for Apple Intelligence won't find it, unless they click every tab on the left to see what shows up.

For a feature as important as Apple Intelligence to be hidden this way is not a good thing.

Is there any chance your MacBook Pro was manufactured for the China Markets? If it was, Apple Intelligence won't be available on your MBP, even if you don't live in China. See this link about what is required for Apple Intelligence and it's exclusions, such as China Markets --> How to get Apple Intelligence - Apple Support (CA)

"Not sure what you are saying…"

On my M1 MacBook Pro, running Sequoia 15.4, the words "Apple Intelligence & Siri" don't appear in the lefthand column of System Settings. As shown in this screenshot, all one sees is "Siri". So a user looking for Apple Intelligence won't find it, unless they click every tab on the left to see what shows up.

For a feature as important as Apple Intelligence to be hidden this way is not a good thing.

As of Sequoia 15.4, the words "AI & Siri" don't appear in the lefthand column--just "Siri." Nevertheless, if you click that, the first item in the resulting prefpane is a toggle for Apple Intelligence.

I don't think most people would think to look for AI under the Siri tab. I know I didn't, until I found tbirdvet's post (thanks!) and guessed that Apple had changed the wording. It's almost as if they don't want you to find it, because that way you can't disable it. Naaaah... ;-)

"Is there any chance your MacBook Pro was manufactured for the China Markets?"

No. I live in the US and ordered it directly from Apple. And this is not a question of Apple Intelligence being somehow excluded from my Mac. It's simply that the words "Apple Intelligence" don't appear in Settings, even though clicking the Siri tab does show a toggle for AI--as shown in the screenshot I posted.

Thanks for trying to help, but I think it's time to move on. I found the AI switch (yes, it was hidden), I turned it off, I'm satisfied. No need to prolong the discussion with speculation about whether I have some exotic, export-only Mac. The screenshots I've posted show that's not the case. Look up the serial number, if you have doubts.

Andy Baird wrote:

"Is there any chance your MacBook Pro was manufactured for the China Markets?"

No. I live in the US and ordered it directly from Apple. And this is not a question of Apple Intelligence being somehow excluded from my Mac. It's simply that the words "Apple Intelligence" don't appear in Settings, even though clicking the Siri tab does show a toggle for AI--as shown in the screenshot I posted.

Thanks for trying to help, but I think it's time to move on. I found the AI switch (yes, it was hidden), I turned it off, I'm satisfied. No need to prolong the discussion with speculation about whether I have some exotic, export-only Mac. The screenshots I've posted show that's not the case. Look up the serial number, if you have doubts.

Wow, I don't care to, nor need to check your serial number. It was nothing more than a suggestion since you said Apple Intelligence didn't appear in settings on your MBP M1. There's nothing exotic about a MacBook Pro manufactured for China, other than it might have been so.

Andy Baird wrote:

As of Sequoia 15.4, the words "AI & Siri" don't appear in the lefthand column--just "Siri."

Not sure what you are saying…

Yes, I'm certain it's an M1 MacBook Pro. I'll experiment with Safe Mode later... gotta go now.

Thanks PRP_53 - now that I can see it is active, how can I turn it off?

As Chewswhentouse notes there is no toggle to turn it off with Sequoia 15.3.1

Open System Settings, select AI & Siri in left column and turn off AI in right column. If not there then perhaps reinstall the OS

Just curious, are you certain you have an M1 MacBook Pro? Apple intelligence would not show if you have an Intel Mac.

Something I hadn't thought of. 🤔

dialabrain wrote:

Something I hadn't thought of. 🤔

No worries.......two heads are better than one!