Tip of the Week: Sick of Google’s AI Overviews? Here’s How to Say Goodbye

February 12, 2025

Artificial intelligence—AI—is rapidly appearing in more and more contexts, but one most people have almost certainly seen by now is at the top of Google’s search engine results. For those who would rather not see these generated results—which have been found to be occasionally contradictory or outright wrong, depending on the source the AI has drawn from—there are actually a few ways to accomplish this.

Humorously, one of these ways is to precede your search with a particular four-letter curse word, but in case you’re worried about what kind of results that could generate, we’ll go over the other, more safe-for-work options.

How to Remove Google’s AI Overview from Your Results Page

First, you can specify that you want to search in the Web category. This option requires an extra click, but it is the simplest.
You can also add -ai to your search, which will remove the AI-generated options.
Browser extensions are available for Chromium-based browsers (such as Chrome, Edge, Brave, and others) and Firefox. Before installing anything on a work device, make sure your IT professional approves it.

It just goes to show that AI can be extremely helpful, but only when applied mindfully and with purpose.

Really, the same can be said for any technology… which is why we work to ensure the businesses of Northern Virginia have the right tools for their respective jobs. Give us a call at (571) 470-5594 to learn more about what we have to offer.

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You Want Your IT to Be Boring… Here’s Why

In storytelling, there’s a structure that the vast majority of stories follow, regardless of the format: introduction, rising action, conflict, falling action, resolution. The rising action and the conflict are what give the story its appeal—they’re the source of all the tension that keeps things moving forward. They’re where the stress and the drama live; they keep the story interesting.

January 14, 2026

Why Percussive Maintenance Isn’t Magic (or Good)

“Persuasion.” “Percussive Maintenance.” Whatever you call hitting your computer to make it work, we get it. We’ve all been there. Your Wi-Fi router drops the signal for the third time during a meeting, or your TV remote decides to go on strike. In a fit of frustration, you give it a firm slap; and miraculously, it starts working again.

January 12, 2026

Improving Your IT Helps Your Customers, Too

The purpose of your business is to deliver goods or services to your target customers or clients. To this end, you can use technology to dramatically improve operations and create a better product for your consumers. Let’s discuss how you can use technology to build better internal practices to in turn create a better customer experience.

Welcome to the First Column IT Tech Blog

Tip of the Week: Sick of Google’s AI Overviews? Here’s How to Say Goodbye

How to Remove Google’s AI Overview from Your Results Page

You Want Your IT to Be Boring… Here’s Why

Why Percussive Maintenance Isn’t Magic (or Good)

Improving Your IT Helps Your Customers, Too

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