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Microsoft’s latest AI-powered tool is giving your computer a “photographic memory,” but experts worry it could come at a cost to your privacy.
The new tool, called ‘Recall’, automatically takes screenshots of your laptop every few seconds so you can browse later.
Microsoft says the screenshots are stored locally on your computer and cannot be accessed by the tech giant’s staff or any remote hackers.
However, experts have shared concerns that it could make it easier for people to obtain personal information from your device if it falls into the wrong hands.
Dr. Kris Shrishak, an AI and privacy consultant, called the tool a potential “privacy nightmare.”
Microsoft is the latest tech giant to pitch itself as the leading artificial intelligence company, unveiling new PCs based on its Copilot AI assistant earlier this month.
“The mere fact that screenshots are taken while using the device could have a chilling effect on people,” he said. BBC.
James Bore, a technology expert at consultancy Bores Group, said the snapshot tool “could capture information that would not otherwise be saved” such as passwords, credit card details or login details.
If the laptop falls into the wrong hands, the perpetrator could “gain access to the user’s session and obtain the information.”
“The main thing for me would be to make sure it’s very easy to turn on and off, and ideally automate that turning off as much as possible,” Bore told MailOnline.
However, Bore believes Microsoft when the company says that no one else can see the screenshots, as “the consequences of lying about something like that greatly outweigh any potential benefits.”
MailOnline has contacted Microsoft for comment.
The recall is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft’s new line of Windows laptops powered by its Copilot AI assistant, introduced earlier this month.
According to Microsoft, Recall aims to “solve one of the most frustrating problems we encounter every day”: finding web pages again on a computer.
With Recall, users can locate content they’ve viewed on their device using search or in a timeline bar that allows them to scroll through screenshots.
With the tool, users can locate content they’ve viewed on their device using search or in a timeline bar that allows them to scroll back through screenshots.
“With Recall, you can virtually access what you’ve seen or done on your PC in a way that appears to have photographic memory,” says the tech giant.
It adds that Recall can be turned on and off at any time, but the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it is contacting Microsoft for more information about Recall’s security measures.
An ICO spokesperson said: ‘We are consulting with Microsoft to understand the safeguards put in place to protect user privacy.
Microsoft is the latest tech giant to make its bid to be the leading artificial intelligence company, unveiling new PCs built around its Copilot AI assistant earlier this month. Pictured is Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
‘We expect organizations to be transparent with users about how their data is used and only process personal data to the extent necessary to achieve a specific purpose.
“The industry must consider data protection from the outset and rigorously assess and mitigate risks to people’s rights and freedoms before bringing products to market.”
Microsoft introduced Copilot last fall and announced “entering a new era of AI” that changes the way we “benefit from technology.”
Earlier this year it was revealed that Microsoft would be adding a dedicated AI button to its computers, and many users were not happy about it.
The new line of Windows laptops features this AI button on the keyboard for quick access to the Copilot chatbot.
