The end of Windows 11's Recall AI feature? Microsoft postpones launch

[harlan4096]

When Copilot Plus PCs launch next week, it will be without the controversial Recall feature.

Recall was unveiled by Microsoft in May 2024 as the core feature of Copilot+ PCs. This new PC type comes equipped with a neural processing unit to process AI tasks on the device faster.

Microsoft, swimming on a wave of positive AI feedback and a stock price that gained nearly 100% since December 2023, was confident that Recall would give the new PC type a much needed boost.

In the higher-up offices at Microsoft, Recall must have sounded like a great idea. The feature captures the screen of the Windows device every five seconds to let AI process it. This allows users to search their entire activity using natural language.

The wave of criticism caught Microsoft by surprise. It can be broken down to the following points:

• Microsoft configured Recall to run automatically on Copilot+ PCs. Users had to opt-out of it manually.
  
• Recall's database was not protected while the system was up and running.
  
• The database would reveal a user's entire activity on the PC, including malware actors and law enforcement.
  

About two weeks later, Microsoft came forward to announce major changes to the Recall AI feature. The company announced that it would add an option to disable Recall during the initial setup, and add improved security around the feature.

Recall is being postponed

Microsoft published an update on its website. It has been added to the post about the upcoming security and usability changes of Recall.

In it, Microsoft says that Recall will not be available as a preview on Copilot+ PCs starting June 18, 2024. Instead, Microsoft has made the decision to preview Recall in the Windows Insider Program first.

It still plans to make Recall available for al Copilot+ PCs soon, according to the post.

The decision to postpone the launch of Recall on regular devices, Copilot+ PCs are not test devices for the most part, was made to "ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security", writes Microsoft in the post.

These standards were seemingly ignored during the initial Copilot+ PCs and Recall rush.

It is possible that Microsoft needs more time to implement the security and usability changes that it promised for June 18th.

Microsoft decided against testing Recall in the Windows Insider Program. One likely explanation is that the company wanted to come out with a bang when it announced the new Copilot+ PCs.
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