Microsoft's AI big move "Fashionably Late", Recall will open for testing in October

Author: Li Dan

Source: Hard AI

Two months ago, Microsoft's new artificial intelligence (AI) feature Recall for its computers sparked security controversies. Now, this feature is preparing for a comeback.

On Wednesday, August 21st, Eastern Time, Microsoft updated its company blog post, stating that the company is committed to providing customers with a trustworthy and secure Copilot+ PC Recall (Preview) experience. Recall will be made available to registered users for preview testing through the Windows Insider program in October. As shared externally on June 13th, the company has adjusted its release approach to leverage the valuable expertise of Windows Insider users before launching Recall on all Copilot+ PCs.

Microsoft emphasized that security remains a top priority for the company. When Recall is made available to Windows Insider users in October, a blog post containing more detailed information will be released.

The update signifies that starting from October, Microsoft will allow Windows users to test the AI search feature Recall, expanding advanced AI technology experiences for a new batch of PC computers. However, Microsoft did not specify when the Recall feature that meets system requirements will be widely available on Windows computers.

In May of this year, Microsoft officially introduced the first batch of AI PCs, namely Copilot+ PCs, with partners such as Dell, Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo, etc., also launching Windows 11 AI PCs. These PCs have been gradually released since June 18th, with Microsoft's first batch of Copilot+ PCs equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon X, starting at $999. Some media outlets have likened them to the "Tesla of PCs." Alongside the launch of these PCs came some bad news: a flagship AI PC feature Recall introduced by Microsoft was embroiled in a negative review storm.

Recall takes screenshots of activities on the computer screen so that users can search for information they have seen before. This feature captures the screen of the active window every few seconds, recording all user actions in Windows by default without content moderation. This means that this feature can capture all screen content of PC users, including bank account passwords, confidential documents, and more.

Network security researchers quickly expressed concerns that Windows may automatically capture images without user consent. Researchers released open-source software demonstrating how personal information could be easily obtained by attackers Facing criticism over privacy leaks and threats to personal information security, Microsoft responded in June by stating that Recall will be set as default off, promising to enhance the security of this feature.

Regarding Microsoft's announcement this Wednesday to start testing the Recall feature in October, a netizen commented on social media X that Recall is indeed controversial, but considering the recent loss of patience when explaining the open-source 3D creation kit Blender to a child, having Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot guide users to click would be great. Even if the AI is not allowed to see the screen and only helps users navigate, it is already very helpful. Recall does have privacy issues, but it will be great.