Microsoft’s omniscient Recall AI feature is being delayed

Microsoft is planning to launch its new Copilot Plus PCs next week without the controversial Recall feature, which captures screenshots of everything you do on these new laptops. The software maker is holding back Recall to test it with the Windows Insider program, after originally promising to ship Recall as an optional feature with additional security improvements.

“We are adjusting the Recall release model to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community and ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security,” Microsoft said in a statement. updated blog post. “When Recall (preview) is available in the Windows Insider program, we will publish a blog post with details on how to get the preview.”

This means that Recall won’t even be initially available to Windows Insiders or anyone purchasing a Copilot Plus PC. I wrote in Notepad earlier today that Windows engineers were scrambling to test and implement security improvements in time for the June 18 release date of Copilot Plus PCs. Now, Microsoft is essentially admitting here that it needs more time to test Recall’s security improvements.

Microsoft first revealed the Recall feature as part of its upcoming Copilot Plus PCs last month, but since then, privacy advocates and security experts have warned that Recall could be a “disaster” for cybersecurity without changes. Microsoft committed to three major updates to Recall last week, including making the AI-powered feature an optional experience rather than on by default, encrypting the database, and authenticating through Windows Hello.

Recall uses local AI models built into Windows 11 to capture screenshots of almost everything you see or do on your computer, then lets you search for and retrieve items you’ve seen. An explorable timeline lets you scroll through these snapshots to recall what you did on a given day on your PC. Everything in Recall is designed to stay local and private on the device, so no data is used to train Microsoft’s AI models.

Microsoft’s decision to delay the Recall comes on the heels of Vice President and President Brad Smith testified before the House Homeland Security Committee today. Smith said that Microsoft is putting security above all else as part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI). “It’s even more important than the company’s work in artificial intelligence,” says Smith.

Smith also revealed that Microsoft will make security a mandatory part of its biannual review process for all employees. “With this change, cybersecurity will be considered in all employees’ annual bonuses and compensation,” Smith said.

I reported in Notepad today that Recall was originally created before Microsoft’s major SFI overhaul began. Recall was developed in secret at Microsoft and has not even been publicly tested with Windows Insiders. Microsoft subsequently identified some of Recall’s security issues and began developing and testing changes to the experience over the past few months. Clearly more time is now needed to ensure these changes deliver on their promise of putting security above AI and everything else.