Microsoft Postpones AI Recall Release

After making Recall opt-in only, Microsoft is putting the brakes on its new AI feature for Windows that was designed to "retrace users' steps."

In a blog update, Microsoft said Recall will initially be available only to testers enrolled in the Windows Insider Program. Previously, Microsoft had planned to make Recall widely available as a preview in new devices.

"We are adjusting the release model for Recall to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community to ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security," the company said in the update.

Windows Recall, which is still in the pre-release stage, has been the subject of controversy since Microsoft first announced it during a PC showcase event last month. Microsoft had conceived of the feature as a key perk of its upcoming line of Copilot+ PCs, which are purpose-built to deliver seamless AI experiences to users. Recall keeps a running timeline of users' actions while using a Copilot+ PC.

Microsoft originally planned for Recall to be included as a preview feature in the initial crop of Copilot+ PCs, which are set to hit retail shelves on June 18. The feature was met with widespread concern, however. IT security researcher Kevin Beaumont, for instance, noted that Recall could allow attackers to steal a user's entire PC usage history with just a few lines of code, making it a security and privacy liability.

To assuage concerns, Microsoft last week announced it would make Recall strictly an opt-in feature, and described several security handholds it is implementing to prevent Recall from being accidentally activated.

This week, in response to ongoing negative feedback, Microsoft went a step further, putting a moratorium on any public Recall release — at least, for now.

"Recall will now shift from a preview experience broadly available for Copilot+ PCs on June 18, 2024, to a preview available first in the Windows Insider Program (WIP) in the coming weeks," the company said Thursday. "Following receiving feedback on Recall from our Windows Insider Community, as we typically do, we plan to make Recall (preview) available for all Copilot+ PCs coming soon."

Microsoft plans to collect feedback from Windows Insiders to make Recall more secure before releasing it more broadly. However, because of Recall's hardware requirements, Windows Insiders will still need a Copilot+ PC to test drive the feature.

For more information, visit the Microsoft blog.

About the Author

Gladys Rama (@GladysRama3) is the editorial director of Converge360.

Featured

  • glowing brain, connected circuits, and abstract representations of a book and graduation cap on a light gray gradient background

    Snowflake Launches Program to Upskill 100,000 People in Data and AI

    Cloud data platform Snowflake is embarking on an effort to train and certify more than 100,000 users on its AI Data Cloud by 2027. The One Million Minds + One Platform program will provide Snowflake-delivered courses, training materials, and free access to Snowflake software, at no cost to learners.

  • Two shadowy figures sit at computers with glowing screens, surrounded by floating digital codes in a dark, high-tech environment

    Reports Note Increasing Threat of Nation-State-Sponsored Cyber Attacks

    A bevy of new cybersecurity reports point to the continuing problem of nation-state-sponsored threat actors. The primary culprits have long been Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, which all show up in recently published reports from Microsoft, IBM, Tenable, and Fortinet.

  • glowing AI text box emerges from a keyboard on a desk, surrounded by floating padlocks, warning icons, and fragmented shields

    Study: 1 in 10 AI Prompts Could Expose Sensitive Data

    Nearly one in 10 prompts used by business users when interacting with generative artificial intelligence tools may inadvertently disclose sensitive data, according to a study released by data protection startup Harmonic Security Inc.

  • a glowing golden coin with a circuit board pattern, set against a gradient blue and white background with faint stock market graphs and metallic letters "AI" integrated into the design

    Google to Invest $1 Billion in AI Startup Anthropic

    Google is reportedly investing more than $1 billion in generative AI startup Anthropic, expanding its stake in one of Silicon Valley's leading artificial intelligence firms, according to a source familiar with the matter.