You can't turn it off anymore in Golden Gate. It is a mandatory download (in countries where it is supported) now.

You can still disable some specific AI-related features, but you can't block the models entirely.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, that's a ton of disk space, and Apple is notoriously chintzy when it comes to storage. On the other hand, I do want the default to be local-only models, and giving developers easy access will make that the path of least resistance. Most of my problems with LLMs don't apply to moderately-sized local models.

The problem is there is no single switch to turn it off. You have to go to each nook and cranny in the settings and toggle a switch. And if you miss anything, that 20 something gigabytes of space doesn’t free up. I’m all for local AI features, but it should be a one toggle switch to turn it off or remove it.

The reddit user featured in the article had to create a script to automate it and keep it off.

But not curious enough to read the second sentence of this article.

Disk space it seems.