diff --git a/src/paperless/migrations/0016_alter_applicationconfiguration_ai_enabled.py b/src/paperless/migrations/0016_alter_applicationconfiguration_ai_enabled.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a8665a74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/paperless/migrations/0016_alter_applicationconfiguration_ai_enabled.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+from django.db import migrations
+from django.db import models
+
+
+def clear_implicit_ai_disabled(apps, schema_editor):
+    application_configuration = apps.get_model(
+        "paperless",
+        "ApplicationConfiguration",
+    )
+    application_configuration.objects.filter(ai_enabled=False).update(ai_enabled=None)
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        ("paperless", "0015_applicationconfiguration_remote_ocr_mode"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.RunPython(clear_implicit_ai_disabled, migrations.RunPython.noop),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="applicationconfiguration",
+            name="ai_enabled",
+            field=models.BooleanField(
+                null=True,
+                verbose_name="Enables AI features",
+            ),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/src/paperless/models.py b/src/paperless/models.py
index 73eaabfee..64fc45fc0 100644
--- a/src/paperless/models.py
+++ b/src/paperless/models.py
@@ -348,7 +348,6 @@ class ApplicationConfiguration(AbstractSingletonModel):
     ai_enabled = models.BooleanField(
         verbose_name=_("Enables AI features"),
         null=True,
-        default=False,
     )
 
     llm_embedding_backend = models.CharField(