> Why not change the setting simply?

My default settings are stored in a 11922 line json file.

Am I expected to read that entire file to find the setting I'm after?

Am I expected to do so when I don't know what the setting is called?

The reason you can't simply change the setting is because the setting isn't simple.

It's essentially a hidden setting, cloaked behind an ambiguous name in a user-hostile manner.

That, in a nutshell, is one of my biggest complaints about VS Code: there are many overlapping settings for various things, and I could never get clarity on what takes priority. Setting up things like formatters (and their settings) for various file types was a nightmare; between VS Code complaining I didn't have one set up (I did), the settings seemingly being ignored, and various other issues, I break into a cold sweat whenever I have to edit my settings file.

But more to the point, I don't understand why one would ever have to edit the file directly when there's already a settings panel that lets you search for a setting using natural language, and get back a list of matching settings. Why doesn't VS Code let you make all the changes from the settings panel, without having to mess with JSON directly?

You should really look in to the difference between opt-in and opt-out. Opt-in respects the user; opt-out is for foisting features that the user might not need or want.

Because the point is just to loudly proclaim how virtuously anti-AI you are, how disruptive it actually is to your workflow is irrelevant.