Remove ai_feature feature flag and ungate search recommendations

[rtibbles]

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Overview

Remove the ai_feature feature flag and all associated gating code. The search recommendations feature should be available to all authenticated users without requiring the flag to be enabled. The flag itself and all checks against it should be removed from the codebase.

Complexity: Medium

Target branch: hotfixes

Context

The search recommendations feature has been gated behind the ai_feature feature flag during its beta period. The feature is now stable and reliable, and is ready to be made available to all users. Only the ai_feature flag should be removed - the feature flags system itself and any other flags should remain intact.

The Change

Remove all references to the ai_feature feature flag across the codebase:

• Backend: Remove the IsAIFeatureEnabledForUser permission class and remove it from the RecommendationView permission list (IsAuthenticated is already present). Remove the ai_feature entry from feature_flags.json.
• Frontend: Remove the isAIFeatureEnabled Vuex getter and all conditional checks that use it. The shouldShowRecommendations computed property should no longer check the feature flag - recommendations should display whenever the other conditions are met (valid embed topic request, etc.).
• Tests: Update tests that assert feature flag behavior for this specific flag.
• Keep: The feature_flags system itself, the check_feature_flag model method, and the generic hasFeatureEnabled getter should all remain intact for future use.

How to Get There

1. Open a channel in the channel editor
2. Use the import from channels flow
3. The search recommendations panel should be visible alongside search results

Out of Scope

• Removing or modifying the feature flags system itself (feature_flags.json schema loading, check_feature_flag model method, generic hasFeatureEnabled getter)
• Changes to the recommendations API logic, UI, or feedback/event tracking beyond removing the feature flag gating

Acceptance Criteria

• ai_feature entry removed from feature_flags.json
• IsAIFeatureEnabledForUser permission class removed from viewsets/user.py
• IsAIFeatureEnabledForUser removed from RecommendationView permission list
• isAIFeatureEnabled Vuex getter removed from session module
• shouldShowRecommendations no longer checks the feature flag
• Non-admin users can see search recommendations without the feature flag set
• Tests that assert feature flag gating for ai_feature are updated or removed
• No remaining references to ai_feature in the codebase

🤖 This issue was written with AI assistance, under supervision, review and final edits by [@rtibbles] 🤖

[AyachiMishra]

hey can you assign this task of removing ai flags to me, thanks!

(i can finish this in 2 days over the weekend if you assign this to me)...
Thank you for your consideration!!

[learning-equality-bot]

Hi! 👋

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[rtibblesbot]

I think I have a plan: Remove ai_feature flag from backend permissions, frontend Vuex getter, Vue component, JSON schema, and tests