Search bar in Layers panel & Selecting Layers

Is it really realated to the preferences? It seems to be a simple new feaature included in one of the latest AI version. On my side, when I'm coming back to the App, that search bar is selected and it takes whatever key I press. So instead of going back in my artwork and simply begin to work, I have to go in the layer panel and click the big X next to that search bar. 

Or sometimes, the search bar is active and it hides my layers. It's pretty annoying. If there's a way to get rid of that search bar, I'd be glad (another way then to downgrade my software or trashing the preferences). 

As far as the freezing issue is concerned it seems like it could be a matter of using the same preference file from the earlier versions of Illustrator CC 2023 which did not have this feature. Problems such as this often occur when updating since the preferences established for the earlier version of the program did not include the newer features. Try trashing your Illustrator preferences which will set the program back to its defaults. Hopefully, a clean set of preferences will cure the freezing issue. As to whether the feature is any good for your purposes I would follow Monika's advice to post in the user voice link.

To reset preferences:

For Macintosh Users: The User Library folder in which Illustrator’s preferences are stored is hidden by default on most Macintoshes. To access it make sure that Illustrator is closed and click on the desktop to launch a Finder Window (Command-N).With this window in column view follow the path User>Home folder (it’s the folder with an icon that looks like a house—it may have the user’s name rather than “Home”) and click on the Home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. “Library” will now appear within the Home folder. Within the Library folder find the folder called Preferences and within it find the folder called “Adobe Illustrator <Version #> Settings” (earlier versions of Illustrator might just say “Adobe Illustrator”) and the file called “com.adobe.Illustrator.plist” and delete both that folder and that file. When Illustrator is next launched it will create new preference files and the program will be restored to its defaults.

For Windows Users: You can try the quick way of resetting on a PC which is to hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift when launching Illustrator and respond affirmatively when asked if you want to reset. There have been some recent reports that the window asking if you want to reset is not popping up but that the prefs are being reset anyway. If this works great but if it doesn’t you may have to manually delete them.

To do so: On Windows 7 and above the preference files are hidden. To find them go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options and then click the View tab. Then select “Show hidden files and folders” or “Show hidden files, folders or drive options” in Advanced Settings. Then delete (or rename) the folder at the end of this path: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator [version number]\ Settings\<Language>. Make sure that Illustrator is closed when you do this. When you relaunch the program it will create new preference files and the program will be at its default settings.

The advantage of manually deleting preference files is that after you’ve reset up the program (make sure that no document window is open) to your liking, you can create copies of your personalized “mint” preference files (make sure that you quit the program before copying them—that finalizes your customization) and use them in the future to replace any corrupt versions you may need to delete.

You will probably need to downgrade the version.

But maybe post a feature request and describe exactly how you need this to work: https://illustrator.uservoice.com