# Questions people ask before switching it off

**Category:** [Turning AI off](https://help.totalctrl.app/hc/totalctrl/totalctrl-help-center/en-US/categories/ai-opt-out)
**Updated:** 2026-10-04

## Common questions

### Do I lose anything I have already generated?

No. Drafted answers, transcripts, summaries and generated images all stay, and remain editable. The switch stops new AI work; it does not undo old work.
### Will my team see errors?

They should not. AI features report that AI is unavailable and the rest of the page carries on working. If anyone sees an error rather than a clear message, that is a bug worth reporting.
### Does search stop working?

No. Search by meaning (semantic search) stops; ordinary keyword search is unaffected.
### What about my AI Units?

Nothing is consumed while AI is off, because no calls are made. Any allowance on your plan is simply unused.
### Can I turn it off for one app only?

Yes, but that is a different control. Higher up the same AI & LLM page you can set each app individually, including *Disabled*. Use the per-app setting to switch off one feature; use the switch at the bottom when the answer is "no AI at all", because that is the one an auditor can verify in a single place.
### Does it affect other workspaces?

No. The setting belongs to one workspace. If you have several, set it in each.
### What about our customers who chat with our AI agent?

The chat widget tells visitors the assistant is unavailable. Handing off to a human still works, so conversations are not lost — but plan for that before switching it off if you rely on the agent publicly.
### How quickly does it take effect?

Immediately, including work already queued. A background job that reaches the point of calling a model after you flip the switch will be refused.

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## Related Articles

- [Exactly what stops working](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/ai-opt-out-what-stops)
- [Proving it: the audit record](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/ai-opt-out-audit)
- [Turn AI off for your workspace](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/ai-opt-out-overview)
- [How the switch is enforced](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/ai-opt-out-enforcement)

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