Apple faces pressure to allow removal of Apple Intelligence from Mac

Mac users and organizations are calling on Apple to provide an official method to disable and remove Apple Intelligence. The demand stems from concerns over significant storage consumption by the AI models. While Apple estimates the requirement at up to 14GB, real-world measurements have reported much higher usage, with some devices showing between 20GB and 35GB of storage occupied.

In response to the lack of a central deactivation switch in macOS 27 (codenamed Golden Gate), developer Om Lahore released RemoveMacAI, an open-source tool designed to shut down AI services and delete locally stored models. The tool aims to free up at least 12GB of space. However, experts warn that using third-party tools to remove deeply integrated system components like Apple Intelligence carries the risk of disrupting basic macOS functions.

Some institutions are reportedly refusing to purchase new Mac hardware until Apple provides a way to completely remove these generative AI features, citing organizational policies against AI installation.