How to disable AI features in the Paint app on Windows 11

• You can disable most of the AI features available through the Copilot menu in the Paint app.
• It’s possible to complete this configuration by using the Group Policy Editor and Registry.
• Some AI-powered features cannot be turned off, including Generative Erase and Remove background.

On Windows 11, you can disable some AI features in the Paint app, and in this guide, I’ll show you how.

In the Paint app, Microsoft has been proactively adding various improvements, including new AI features powered by Copilot, including Cocreator, Generative Fill, Image Creator, as well as the ability to remove the background and objects from an image. 

Also, if you have a Copilot+ PC, Paint can offer additional features such as Sticker generator, Object Select, and Restyle.

Although these may be useful tools, they’re not for everyone, especially for those users who want a version of the operating system without so many AI enhancements due to privacy and other concerns.

For context, Cocreator is an AI feature that turns your simple sketches into sophisticated artwork using a text prompt and your real-time drawing on the canvas. On the other hand, the Generative Fill tool provides seamless, context-aware editing by allowing you to introduce entirely new objects or scene elements into an existing image.

Finally, Image Creator serves as Paint’s primary text-to-image generation engine, capable of producing a completely new image from nothing but a user-provided text description.

If the AI features aren’t for you, the app doesn’t include the settings to turn them off, but you can still disable some of them through Group Policy and the Registry.

In this guide, I’ll outline the steps to disable the Cocreator, Generative Fill, and Image Creator features in Paint for Windows 11.

• Disable AI features from the Paint app using Group Policy
• Disable AI features from the Paint app using Registry
• FAQs about disabling AI features in the Paint app

Disable AI features from the Paint app using Group Policy

To disable most of the AI features in the Paint app through Group Policy, follow these steps:

1. Open Start on Windows 11.

2. Search for gpedit and click the top result to open the Group Policy Editor.

3. Browse the following path:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Paint
   

4. Right-click the “Disable Cocrator” policy and choose the Edit option.

   

5. Check the Enabled option.

   

6. Click the Apply button.

7. Click the OK button.

8. Right-click the “Disable generative fill” policy and choose the Edit option.

9. Check the Enabled option.

10. Click the Apply button.

11. Click the OK button.

12. Right-click the “Disable Image Creator” policy and choose the Edit option.

13. Check the Enabled option.

14. Click the Apply button.

15. Click the OK button.

16. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, in the next reboot and the next time you open the Paint app, the Copilot menu will continue to show, but it’ll no longer include access to features like Cocreator, generative fill, and Image Creator.

If you want to revert the changes, you can use the same steps, but on steps 5, 9, and 13, choose the “Not configured” option, click the “Apply” and “OK” buttons, and restart the device.

Disable AI features from the Paint app using Registry

To disable most of the AI features in the Paint app through the Registry, follow these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry.

3. Browse the following path:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

4. Right-click the Windows (folder) key, select the New submenu, and choose the Key option.

   

5. Name the Paint and press Enter.

6. Right-click the Policies (folder) key, select the New submenu, and choose the DWORD (32-bit) Value option.

   

7. Name the key DisableCocreator and press Enter.

8. Right-click the newly created key and choose the Modify option.

9. Change the value to 1.

   

10. Click the OK button.

11. Right-click the Policies (folder) key, select the New submenu, and choose the DWORD (32-bit) Value option.

12. Name the key DisableGenerativeFill and press Enter.

    

13. Right-click the newly created key and choose the Modify option.

14. Change the value to 1.

15. Click the OK button.

16. Right-click the Policies (folder) key, select the New submenu, and choose the DWORD (32-bit) Value option.

17. Name the key DisableImageCreator and press Enter.

    

18. Right-click the newly created key and choose the Modify option.

19. Change the value to 1.

20. Click the OK button.

21. Restart your computer.

After you complete the steps, Paint will no longer include AI features, such as Cocreator, generative fill, and Image Creator.

If you have a Copilot+ PC and disable these three settings using Group Policy and the Registry, you’ll also disable Sticker generator and Restyle.

If you want to revert the changes, you can use the same steps outlined above, but on step 5, right-click the “Paint” key and choose the “Delete” option to remove the Registry keys. Once you reboot the system, the app will restore the AI features.

FAQs about disabling AI features in the Paint app

Here’s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers about turning off the AI features in the Microsoft Paint app for Windows 11.

Can you disable AI features in the Paint app on Windows 11?

Yes. You can disable most AI features, including Cocreator, Generative Fill, and Image Creator, using Group Policy or the Registry Editor. However, Paint doesn’t include a toggle in its interface to turn them off directly.

What AI features does the Paint app include on Windows 11?

Microsoft has added several AI-powered tools to Paint, such as Cocreator (text-to-art from sketches), Generative Fill (context-aware image editing), Image Creator (text-to-image generation), and background or object removal tools.

Does disabling AI in Paint remove the Copilot button?

No. The Copilot button will still appear in the Paint app, but it will no longer provide access to features like Cocreator, Generative Fill, or Image Creator.

How do I disable Paint AI features using Group Policy?

Open the Group Policy Editor, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Paint, and enable the policies to disable Cocreator, Generative Fill, and Image Creator. Then restart your computer.

How do I disable Paint AI features using the Registry?

Open the 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ path
Create a new key named Paint and three DWORD (32-bit) values named DisableCocreator, DisableGenerativeFill, and DisableImageCreator. Set each value to 1 and restart your computer.