I would like to understand why the new Generative AI options for inDesign that cost credits, were on by default?Briefly, I have ended up with an annual medical report full of hundreds of unwanted, incorrect alt texts that I have had to remove.To add insult to injury, these unrequested alt texts cost credits! There is no simple way to strip these out (tip: please add this feature) I have had to resort to a python script to clean this document This could have been avoided if my inDesign update had offered me this feature via an opt-in dialog.

Inspiring

Answered

Indesign generative AI options on by default

Forum|Forum|20 days ago
May 11, 2026
7 replies
219 views

I would like to understand why the new Generative AI options for inDesign that cost credits, were on by default?

Briefly, I have ended up with an annual medical report full of hundreds of unwanted, incorrect alt texts that I have had to remove.

To add insult to injury, these unrequested alt texts cost credits!
There is no simple way to strip these out (tip: please add this feature)
I have had to resort to a python script to clean this document

This could have been avoided if my inDesign update had offered me this feature via an opt-in dialog.

Correct answer Frans v.d. Geest

Leo, I think what we would need is more a startup script that disables this preferences when an existing document is opened to prevent overwriting with Alt Text…

Ciphony

Participating Frequently

Just FYI, I have alt text appearing in a PDF that was created in a version of InDesign which has had default generative AI turned off for a month. In addition to being inaccurate generally, and poorly written, the alt text claims that the photos include nudes.

This does not make designers look good to clients, and if anyone wants to launch a class-action lawsuit against Adobe for sabotaging projects and relationships and wasting hours of time -- I could be doing something else right now if I weren’t screaming into the void of Adobe Forums! -- please count me in.

leo.r

Community Expert

Did you update to InDesign 21.4? Adobe claims that it improves the alt text accuracy.

Ciphony

Participating Frequently

I don’t need more accurate AI-generated alt text. I need NO AI-generated alt text unless I ask for it. Which I won’t. The photos in the document I’m talking about are not stock; they are of specific people in specific situations, and AI has no context for any of that. It is worse than useless in my line of work, but even if it weren’t, it should not be appearing after I turned it off in preferences with no docs open.

Adobe has utterly lost the plot, IMO.

graphics_4075

Inspiring

The option to “enable/disable” these settings is unavailable for me, however I just opened up a document that previously had no alt-text at all, and it now has AI alt-text on every single picture.

Am I correctly led to believe that this setting is generating AI alt-text and I have no way to disable it??

Cheers

graphics_4075

Inspiring

As I reply to this document, more of my files have been affected. Dear God, please DISABLE THIS FEATURE COMPLETELY until it is functioning correctly. I literally cannot open a single file without getting AI alt text on every single image or SVG

Cheers

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

The link to the user voice is highlighted that's the best place to get your voice heard.

dominico54545139Author

Inspiring

Apologies if I am committing a faux pas, but I want to clarify that this is not the answer to my question.

I really appreciate the assistance, but I had already switched this off in my software.

My question was why it was default “on” in the first place.

Thank you

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Because that’s the way it is was decided at management/programming decision making - it was turned on because it’s a new feature - which seems to be default for Adobe from what I can gather.

The answer is to turn it off in the preferences until Adobe make it an opt-in only in the future.

Sorry if it’s not the answer you’re looking for - but it is the way it is.

I believe there’s a script to turn it off and make it is always off with a startup script

graphics_4075

Inspiring

Likely to claim higher usage of their AI tools than realistically happens. Settings like these being on by default is unfortunately kinda just standard now when it shouldn’t be.

Cheers

leo.r

Community Expert

Also, here you can find a JS script to strip alt-text from all images (it’s possible that other, potentially better scripts are also posted somewhere):

https://www.reddit.com/r/indesign/comments/1qv6qk1/how_do_i_remove_ai_alt_text_image_descriptions_on/

If you’re on Mac, I think this can be done with a one-liner AppleScript script.

dominico54545139Author

Inspiring

Thanks so much Leo

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Please vote here
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/51277426-generative-ai-alt-text-and-other-ai-features

leo.r

Community Expert

Yes, there are plenty of complaints about this feature being enabled by default. I also agree that credit consumption should never be initiated without explicit consent of the user.

M

Manan Joshi

Community Expert

Hi @dominico54545139 , you can switch this off via preferences. See the following screenshot

-Manan

dominico54545139Author

Inspiring

Thank you Manan,

A lovely quick response.

I disabled it in the preferences as soon as I discovered its existence. But was frustrated that it was originally on by default, resulting in the content being generated before I realised and dragged myself up to speed with the feature.

M

Manan Joshi

Community Expert

Yeah the default on part is something that is lacking. Please upvote on the link provided by @Eugene Tyson, it will help escalate the importance of this for the Adobe engineering team

-Manan

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