Elon Musk has slammed a controversial new artificial intelligence feature coming to Windows 11 devices this summer. Known as Recall, it takes screenshots of everything on the screen so you can scroll back in time and continue working anything for the last month. The feature will be exclusive to a range of new Copilot+ computers.
Artificial intelligence, based on Microsoft’s $10 billion licensing partnership with OpenAI his latest ‘flirty’ model ChatGPTit will analyze text and images in screenshots – so you can search for phrases, people, animals and landmarks to find what you’re looking for without knowing the title of the document or website.
“We started solving one of the most frustrating problems we face every day – finding something we know we’ve seen before on our PC. Today we have to remember what file folder it was stored in, what website it was on , or wade through hundreds of emails trying to find it,” wrote Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s chief marketing officer corporate blog “Now with Recall, you can virtually access what you’ve seen or done on your computer in a way that resembles a photographic memory.”
This is an episode of Black Mirror.
Definitely turn this “feature” off. https://t.co/bx1KLqLf67
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2024
But Elon Musk compared the AI function to Black mirror, a show that depicts near-future dystopias with a heavy emphasis on technology. The twilight zone –Created by Charlie Brooker for Channel 4 before it was sold to Netflix, the inspired series is named after the reflective nature of a switched off computer screen.
“This is an episode of Black Mirror. We are definitely going to turn this ‘feature’ off,” the Tesla and SpaceX executive said posted on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The 52-year-old multi-billionaire — who regularly tops the list of the richest person on the planet depending on the strength of Tesla’s stock price — shared a clip with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about Windows 11’s Recall functionality.
Users on X were quick to respond to Elon Musk’s post.
Recall is the main feature of this Copilot+ PC table, which allows you to go through everything that happened on your Windows 11 PC and jump back in time with a single click. Everything is searchable because the AI went through the images and text on the device
MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICE
“Uhhhh that sounds like tracking wrapped up as a feature,” one person shared in relation to the Windows 11 tweet, while another he joked: “Is this what the CIA came up with?”
“So a built-in screen recorder. Because it’s not a security risk. You gotta give it to them though; they took malware and turned it into a ‘feature’,” one skeptical user on X shared in response to a post.
Invocation is not enabled by default, so there is no need to disable the feature as Elon Musk recommends. When you’re setting up your Windows 11 PC, you’ll be asked if you want to use Recall, but it won’t take screenshots in the background right out of the box.
That said, it’s worth noting that Elon Musk, who also owns and operates tunneling business The Boring Company, is far from the only one worried about the implications of the upcoming Recall feature.
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) the BBC confirmed that he “inquired with Microsoft to understand security measures to protect user privacy.” The data protection regulator added that private companies must “rigorously assess and mitigate risks to people’s rights and freedoms” before launching new products.
In an effort to allay concerns, Microsoft has assured PC owners that Recall will do just that never take screenshots whenever you use a private browsing mode, such as incognito mode in Google Chrome. Windows 11 users can also add separate exceptions, including specific apps where this feature won’t apply.
Privacy activists also responded very emphatically to the Recall notice.
“This could be a privacy nightmare,” Dr Kris Shrishak, an AI and privacy consultant, told the BBC. “The mere fact that screenshots will be taken while using the device can have a chilling effect on people.”
Jen Caltrider, who serves as program director for Mozilla’s *Privacy Not Included team, warned that Recall would allow anyone with access to your laptop or desktop PC to treasure personal information because it contains a categorized list of recent activity. .
Caltrider warned: “[This includes] law enforcement orders or even from Microsoft if they change their minds about keeping all content local and not using it for targeted advertising or training their AIs.
Microsoft says that Recall will not censor or delete information from the screenshots it takes, even if passwords or bank account details are visible on the screen.
In a blog post about the new functionality that will arrive with a new Surface Laptop next monthThe American company wrote: “Recall uses your personal semantic index, created and stored exclusively on your device.
“Your snapshots are yours; they stay locally on your computer. You can delete individual snapshots, edit and delete time slots in Settings, or pause them at any point directly from the taskbar icon on your taskbar. You can also filter apps and websites so they’re never saved , you’re always in control of the privacy you can count on.”
Recall and a host of other AI features will be exclusive to Windows 11 running on so-called Copilot+ PCs, including the newly announced Surface Laptop 7th Edition, pictured above. MICROSOFT PRESS OFFICE
However, Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at software security firm ESET, said creating and storing more private data through the feature could be a tempting prospect for cybercriminals.
“Enabling a feature that has the ability to capture data on the screen not only offers even more data to the company behind the software, but also opens up another avenue for criminals to attack,” he said.
THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT
“Although this feature is not turned on by default, users should note that it will allow any content to be analyzed by AI algorithms for a better experience.
“While this may yield better results, there is a balance to be struck between functionality and privacy, so users must be aware of the potential risks should sensitive data be compromised. Creating and storing more private data seems pointless when cybercriminals are constantly looking for any given vulnerability to exploit.”