I deleted ai.exe from the folder ```
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\vfs\ProgramFilesCommonX64\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16\ai.exe
(actually it was in a further folder called ai)
PPT seemed to work for longer than recently but then PC still locked up so something else at play maybe?
I invite everyone posting here to read my previous post here:
Also please acknowledge whether you are using Office 365 or normal Office when seeing this occur. I run Office 2021, I do not see these folders nor get the indications you are all getting. Just trying to distinguish what is different other than. Having Norton version 24.xx installed along with Office 365.
SA
I am running office 365 and Norton 24.12.9725 (build 24.12.9725.902)
Correction to my last post - had had not rebooted my pc after deleted AI.exe.
Having now been forced to do so, PPT and my PC have been running as I would expect and Norton was running too. So there seems to be some interaction with AI.exe and Norton.
Good morning.
I am using Norton 360 version 24.12.9725.1248 and Office 365 PowerPoint version 2412 (Build 18324.20092). I just followed the instructions for deleting the AI.EXE file, rebooted my PC and the message went away. The AI.EXE file was placed or modified on the PC on December the 30th 2024.
I am having the same issue (same error message) as of today…and as mentioned before it only seems to be with Microsoft Powerpoint. Hopefully a fix is forthcoming.
I may have posted this before, the ai.exe file is 100% ownership of Microsoft exclusive to Office 365 and other Outlook / Word installs as well. The Norton functional “hook” issue is with Co-Pilot and its AI features. Norton aswhook.dll is the shared library file that is not compatible with the Co-Pilot AI features. Removal of the ai.exe file will only correct the issue until the next update cycle for Office 365 or other installs that support AI. Norton products natively, to the best of my knowledge, do not support AI features within the OS or other software. Hoping that Norton focuses on that specifically and provides an answer to whether Norton will support it and a correction is in play or its not their issues to resolve. Something is better than silence in either scenario.
How do I disable the “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Host [etc]” - Microsoft Community
SA
I have also had the same error crop up over the last little while, both when I open PowerPoint AND Word. I have the latest version of Windows 11, have a family subscription for Microsoft 365 and a subscription for Norton 360 Premium installed. Exactly the same message as shown in @JVR2024’s first post Dec 27, 2024. It’s now been 2 weeks and I haven’t seen ANY message from Norton about what they are investigating, let alone doing about the issue.
I see that this community is labeled as “Ask the Community”. If not for @SoulAsylum’s remarks 10 days ago that he escalated the problem for us, it would seem that Norton created this group to fix things ourselves instead of involving them. I also noticed that @Gayathri_R suggested escalating to the appropriate team. Do we expect anyone from Norton support (regardless of the team) to get back to us with updates as to what’s happening?
Update: Guru bjm and myself, both, have escalated this thread to Norton for review. I just submitted it again before posting this. Conversely, we Guru’s cannot give any time frame nor date for a resolution. We do not have access to those teams nor their information. Norton does have its hands full with the myriad of issues and missing features in the 24.xx release.
In the interim please remove the ai.exe file from your installs as we await Norton to respond. Thanks again for your patience.
SA
Thank you for reporting this issue. And thanks to the Gurus for escalating this.
We are working on this. We will let you know once we have more informaiton. Thank you.
You are correct in this assumption. The Community was set up for user to user help with the Norton products. Those that get appointed as Gurus are just users like you who have volunteered our time to try to help others from our experience with the Norton products. We are able to escalate issues when it is something that requires Norton developers intervention.
Same issue. Started today.
Norton version: 24.12.9725 (build 24.12.9725.902)
Windows 11 Pro, OS build: 26100.2605
@Jose_Ruivo Edited:
Your Windows version is 24H2 and is an “Insider” build of Windows. Norton doesn’t guarantee its products will work correctly on BETA/Insider Windows releases.
Are you aware that 24H2 has a myriad of issues? Is yours also a Co-pilot enabled device and are you using Office 365?
Also for everyone in this thread. Here is an AI generated overview of what Microsoft states regarding ai.exe compatibility between 24H2 and Office 365. This not just a Norton issue but is also a Microsoft issue as I have suggested more than once.
AI Overview
According to recent reports, the Windows 11 24H2 update may be causing issues with the “Office 365 AI.exe” process, specifically related to potential crashes, performance slowdowns, or unexpected behavior within Office applications that utilize AI features, like Microsoft Word’s “Suggested Edits” or PowerPoint’s “Designer” tools; this could be due to compatibility issues between the new Windows update and the Office 365 AI functionalities.
Key points about this issue:
- Affected applications:
Primarily impacts Office applications that heavily rely on AI features, like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
-
Symptoms:
- Unexpected crashes while using AI-powered features.
- Lag or delays in AI-assisted suggestions.
- Error messages related to “Office 365 AI.exe”.
What to do:
Check for updates:** Ensure you have the latest version of Office 365 installed as Microsoft may have released patches addressing compatibility issues with Windows 11 24H2.
Restart your computer:** Sometimes a simple restart can resolve temporary glitches.
Contact Microsoft support:** If the problem persists, reach out to Microsoft support to report the issue and inquire about potential solutions or workarounds.
SA
guys, I am having the same problem. Started on 1/13 for me. ONLY when launching Powerpoint Office 365. Two different machines. Desktop and Laptop. Both Windows 11. One does NOT have the Windows 11 24H2 update installed. Pop Up is random. Annoying but does not seem to affect the app.
I have the same problem with PowerPoint only, not Word. I’m running
Microsoft Windows 11 Version 23H2 (OS Build 22631.4602)
Microsoft® PowerPoint® 2021 MSO (Version 2412 Build 16.0.18324.20092) 32-bit
And true to your prediction, my system was updated over night and ai.exe is back.
One thing that concerns me…and not to be a jerk about this…but regardless of whether ai.exe plays well with others, the error that’s generated is from Norton (when it’s running). If Norton is disabled, no error. So the concern is with the statement that Norton may decide it’s not their issue to resolve. I have no control over what Office 365 loads on my machine, so my only recourse in that scenario would be to remove Norton and look for another solution. So fingers crossed that Norton finds a solution.
Understood. The point I am driving is simply, Norton doesn’t use ai.exe, Office 365 DOES. When ai.exe is introduced Norton cannot use the required OS system hooks it requires to perform functions that are critical because the MS must have AI issue takes precedence. I refer to the file ai.exe being reinstalled at each new update. Microsoft is the issue. I’m not saying Norton shouldn’t investigate the issue. AI.exe is causing aswhook.dll to fault. DLL files are shared library files which can be executed by more than once source. There is the premise of my thought process.
SA
I have done office365 update just now after reading this post and after update was done i started PP again and the error message is no longer pops-up.
just FYI to everyone
I started to get the same ai.exe error message (ai.exe - Bad Image) a few days ago when opening up Microsoft PowerPoint. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Norton but the errors are still occurring. I will certainly be glad when Norton fixes this error.
Just installed an Office 365 update. Will see if that has any effect on the error related to ai.exe