Why Microsoft’s new AI feature has sparked privacy concerns

MMicrosoft has launched a new series of products called Copilot+ PCs, which are designed to be integrated with artificial intelligence technology in mind. The company has reportedly been struggling with the laptop market in recent months, with sales of flagship Surface professional laptops decreasing significantly in 2023.

But the AI ​​device’s new features have raised privacy concerns. In particular, a feature Microsoft calls “Recall” allows the device to take photos of a person’s screen every few seconds. These screenshots are encrypted and stored locally on the individual’s device.

Microsoft said this feature was designed to “solve one of the most frustrating problems we encounter every day – finding something we know we’ve seen before on our PC.” The corporation added that this feature will allow users to search their computer history intuitively based on “relationships and associations unique to each of our individual experiences.”

However, just two days after the product’s announcement, the Information Commissioner’s Office, a UK data watchdog, said it would contact Microsoft amid growing concerns about the features’ implications for consumer privacy.

“This could be a privacy nightmare,” said Dr. Kris Shrishak, an AI and privacy consultant. told the BBC. “The simple fact that screenshots will be taken while using the device can have a chilling effect on people.”

On its website, Microsoft states that the feature is “optional” and that users can “make choices about which snapshots Recall collects and stores.”

TIME has reached out to Microsoft for further comment.