Jeremy, only slightly. There is still no option to completely hide it, but indeed the position is now getting remembered.
But it’s the same as in the latest general releases 29.1...

Baffling and annoying that this got past testing (or was it tested?). Glad to see that apparently a beta addresses this (as of Egor's comment in Aug 2024). EDIT: to say that finding this thread prompted me to check for a general non-beta update, which there was (to 2025 version). While the pop-up is still present, it does now stay wherever you put it on repeat uses instead of going right back to the center, which basically solves the issue for me.

I HATE HATE HATE THIS! Why do you have to mess with something that didn't need messing with in the first place! I pay for this inconvenience???

Adobe: THIS SUCKS. I have been searching for ways to turn this feature off for months now. It makes my workflow HORRENDOUS as I am switching from brush to smooth to brush again as I work, and popping up in the center every time is more than a nuisance. REPEAT: THIS IS AWFUL. REMOVE IT. I know how to smooth my lines thanks very much.

I agree Beatrice. I actually like the functionality of it, but I don't understand this obsession with floating task bars. We have panels on the side for everything, which are flexible for stacking and organizing the tools you need to the side of your work area. I don't understand why this (and the evil contextual task bar) couldn't live there. Anything added to the work area is a distraction or obstacle to doing the work. I feel like this software is made by people who don't use this software.

I'm still annoyed that it pops up at all. I would prefer to have an option to make it not pop up. It's still distracting and I hate that it takes up any space at all on my screen, especially when I'm working on fine details. If I wanted a pop up I'd go out of my way to find it. I get that there are people who want it, but those of us who don't shouldn't have to get all irritated because it's being forced on us and messing with our workflow.

The smoothing popup is obnoxious and constantly blocks the subject I'm trying to work on.
The changes to this tool are incredibly annoying and I wish there was a way to go back to the previous version because it was already perfect.

I just experienced this for the first time and immediately came here to figure out how to turn it off. How can I not turn this off permanently?!? Absolutely ridiculous. I need the ability for this pop up to CLOSE and to NEVER OPEN AGAIN. This is exactly what the top navigation bar is used for, specific settings for whatever tool you are using, why is the smooth tool different to the point where you need a pop up in your face covering the actual art you are trying to smooth?? These settings should be up top, not anywhere near my actual artboard. To be honest, I don't want any pop ups in any Adobe product ever. The artboard feels like it should be sacred and now all these updates keep adding popups all over the place. It feels like they are trying to make the desktop version of Illustrator feel like the iPad version. These sliders are fine to have in that setting because the side/top navigation is so pared down, however, I don't need sliders right next to my finger in desktop, I can find them in the nav bar just fine. The pop ups are in the way no matter where I put them. I don't want them anywhere near the artboard. You must remove this or at least give all users a way to toggle this to never show up again.

please allow for the slider window to be moved and stay put. it always appears right in the center of working

Shouldn't this be showing up in the Control or Properties window anyway? Both of those are supposed to be places that dynamically change to offer controls related to whatever you're doing.

At this point in Illustrator's lifespan I figure there's a 50-50 chance than nobody working on the program knows those windows exist, never mind knows how to add new controls to them or where to go to find that out.

Thanks for making a report about it, Marc, I was waiting for one!

Also mentioned here at forums:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/smooth-tool-popup-right-in-the-middle-of-the-page-whenever-toggled/m-p/14757332

While the slider is actually helpful and doesn’t really alter the process, it’s always-in-center positioning and inability to turn it off makes is quite irritating. I think It should remember the position if moved away manually, and pop below the selected object initially (like CTB should as well).

The team is already made known about it and is reviewing the UX.