Microsoft’s new Recall feature for Copilot+PCs criticized as ‘spyware’

by | May 21, 2024 | Technology

Join us in returning to NYC on June 5th to collaborate with executive leaders in exploring comprehensive methods for auditing AI models regarding bias, performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Find out how you can attend here.

This week, Microsoft is hosting its annual developer conference Build from the Seattle Convention Center, and amid the flurry of AI-related announcements from the valuable software company, one has struck a false note among many tech industry followers on X (formerly Twitter).

Of many Microsoft announcements, perhaps the biggest was the introduction of new Microsoft Copilot+PCs — laptops and desktop computers outfitted with a new version of Microsoft Windows that contains its AI assistant Copilot baked into the very fabric of the operating system itself.

Copilot, in turn, is powered by a range of underlying AI models including the new GPT-4o introduced last week by Microsoft partner and investment OpenAI.

Yet the one feature in particular, Recall, stood out to some observers — and not in a good way. The Recall feature essentially records a user’s screen activity on their Copilot+PC, including mouse movements and application actions — whether a user is sending messages, checking email, editing a document or image — and allows the user to go back, replay them to find a detail or interaction they want to access again. Microsoft describes Recall this way in a blog post announcing the Copilot+ PCs:

VB Event
The AI Impact Tour: The AI Audit

Join us as we return to NYC on June 5th to engage with top executive leaders, delving into strategies for auditing AI models to ensure fairness, optimal performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Secur …

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Join us in returning to NYC on June 5th to collaborate with executive leaders in exploring comprehensive methods for auditing AI models regarding bias, performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Find out how you can attend here.

This week, Microsoft is hosting its annual developer conference Build from the Seattle Convention Center, and amid the flurry of AI-related announcements from the valuable software company, one has struck a false note among many tech industry followers on X (formerly Twitter).

Of many Microsoft announcements, perhaps the biggest was the introduction of new Microsoft Copilot+PCs — laptops and desktop computers outfitted with a new version of Microsoft Windows that contains its AI assistant Copilot baked into the very fabric of the operating system itself.

Copilot, in turn, is powered by a range of underlying AI models including the new GPT-4o introduced last week by Microsoft partner and investment OpenAI.

Yet the one feature in particular, Recall, stood out to some observers — and not in a good way. The Recall feature essentially records a user’s screen activity on their Copilot+PC, including mouse movements and application actions — whether a user is sending messages, checking email, editing a document or image — and allows the user to go back, replay them to find a detail or interaction they want to access again. Microsoft describes Recall this way in a blog post announcing the Copilot+ PCs:

VB Event
The AI Impact Tour: The AI Audit

Join us as we return to NYC on June 5th to engage with top executive leaders, delving into strategies for auditing AI models to ensure fairness, optimal performance, and ethical compliance across diverse organizations. Secur …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]

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