Windows 11 includes a privacy permission setting that gives you control over how third-party applications access local generative AI models.
The Text and image generation setting lets you enable or disable access to these built-in, local AI models on supported Copilot+ PCs.
What Is Text and Image Generation in Windows 11?
Windows 11 includes a privacy permission setting titled Text and image generation. This setting allows third-party applications to utilize built-in, local generative AI models provided by the Windows App SDK while giving you control over which specific applications can access them.
How To Enable or Disable Text and Image Generation
Open Settings (Windows Key + I).
Click Privacy & security in the left sidebar.
Scroll down under the App permissions section and select Text and image generation.
Toggle the main Text and image generation switch to On or Off.
If enabled, toggle individual permissions below the main switch to specify which applications can use local AI models.
How To Check Which Applications Are Using Local AI Models
You can verify whether applications are using local AI models by reviewing the Recent activity section located directly on the Text and image generation settings page.
Notes
Note: This feature functions exclusively on Copilot+ PCs equipped with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of 40+ TOPS.
On non-Copilot+ PCs (which lack the required 40+ TOPS NPU), local generative AI models are not present on the system. The toggle serves no functional purpose on standard hardware, so turning it On or Off changes nothing.
On Copilot+ PCs, on-device AI operations are offloaded directly to the NPU. The feature does not utilize your main CPU, GPU, or RAM, meaning it will not degrade PC performance or impact gaming frame rates.
Turning off this toggle strictly blocks third-party apps from accessing local on-device models. It does not affect apps or web features that rely on cloud-based AI, nor does it affect essential Windows background tasks such as TextInputHost.exe.
The Text and image generation permission therefore provides a straightforward way to control third-party access to local AI models while leaving cloud-based AI features and essential Windows background tasks unaffected.