New AI Feature Records And Analyzes Everything On Your Computer
Whether you’re skeptical about Artificial Intelligence (AI) or not, there’s a new AI feature coming to Windows. Apparently, the program uses AI to “take images of your active screen every few seconds.” It’s called Recall.
How does the new AI feature work exactly?
At a Build conference event, Microsoft revealed a new AI-powered feature called “Recall” for Copilot+ PCs that will allow Windows 11 users to search and retrieve their past activities on their PC. To make it work, Recall records everything users do on their PC, including activities in apps, communications in live meetings, and websites visited for research.
“Recall uses Copilot+ PC advanced processing capabilities to take images of your active screen every few seconds,” Microsoft says on its website. “The snapshots are encrypted and saved on your PC’s hard drive. You can use Recall to locate the content you have viewed on your PC using search or on a timeline bar that allows you to scroll through your snapshots.”
Ars Technica reported that by performing a Recall action, users can access a snapshot from a specific time period, providing context for the event or moment they are searching for. It also allows users to search through teleconference meetings they’ve participated in and videos watched using an AI-powered feature that transcribes and translates speech.
Privacy Concerns
While there is encryption and local storage, the new feature raises privacy concerns for certain Windows users. Think about it, if someone with access to your Windows account could potentially use Recall to see everything you’ve been doing recently on your PC, it can give them access to passwords, web patterns, search history, and much more that can pose a threat to your privacy.
Microsoft says that the Recall index remains local and private on-device, encrypted in a way that is linked to a particular user’s account. “Recall screenshots are only linked to a specific user profile and Recall does not share them with other users, make them available for Microsoft to view, or use them for targeting advertisements. Screenshots are only available to the person whose profile was used to sign in to the device,” Microsoft says.
They also mentioned that users can pause, stop, or delete captured content and can exclude specific apps or websites. Recall won’t take snapshots of “InPrivate web browsing sessions in Microsoft Edge or DRM-protected content.” However, Recall won’t actively hide sensitive information like passwords and financial account numbers that appear on-screen.
Take a look at what else this new feature offer with the official release from Microsoft here.
